The Distance: A Weekend Away
by margie311
Summary: A spin-off to The Distance, Sarah and Cooper's story.   OC  Labeled Andy/Sam bc there will be McSwarek.
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE: This story is a spin off/sequel to The Distance. It is about Sam's sister Sarah and her husband Cooper. I know a lot of people won't be interested in this type of thing. However, it does follow the plot of The Distance, so, if you liked that, you might enjoy this. If you haven't read The Distance, you may not get some of the jokes; so maybe take the time to at least skim the last four chapters or so. If you don't care, read away. This IS McSwarek, because Sam and Andy are in it. And there are some juicy parts. **

**Notice how I took the time to plug The Distance, like four times? ;)**

**This was intended to be a oneshot, but I sat down one night and started writing, and all of a sudden, had 15 pages. So, it's going to be 3 chapters. Still, short by my usual standards. I hope you enjoy it. It picks up during the flashback shown in the Epilogue of The Distance.**

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><p>Sarah and Cooper lived maybe 5 miles outside of St. Catharine's in what appeared to be a large one-story on a small lake. On the property sat a large garage and a few other outbuildings, and lots of trees. So many that it must have been a nightmare to mow the lawn. She looked over at Sam.<p>

"How can you not know anything about the outdoors when Sarah lives here?"

He shrugged. "They only bought this place two years ago; I haven't been here that many times. And when I do," he glanced at the yard, "I usually stay inside." He grinned at her. When they first pulled up, Cooper was out in the yard with his head down in the engine of Sarah's car. He heard the truck spitting gravel onto the driveway and peeked around the hood. He was wearing a faded orange sweatshirt, covered in grease smears, sleeves pushed up to the elbows. A pair of old, holey jeans rode low on his hips as he wiped his hands on a rag. Sam parked, swung himself out of the truck and walked up, and they did what Andy called 'the man hug'; a combination of handshake and shoulder to shoulder contact that lasted only a brief moment. Andy had been expecting her version of a history teacher, a stodgy old man living in tweed. But Cooper was young. Closer to Sam's age than Sarah's. Maybe even younger. And he wasn't stodgy at all.

Andy got out of the truck and walked over. And smiled, pleasantly surprised. Sarah had said he was amazing. She'd been holding out on her. The man was beautiful. Tall as a tree, his short brown hair had a little red in it, and his eyes were blue, bright in the sunlight. A square jaw sat above broad shoulders, tapering down to slim hips that led to long legs. Andy found her eyes moving over him slowly as Sam introduced her, giving her a little nudge when he realized she wasn't paying attention.

"What?" she asked, startled. "Oh, sorry." She held out her hand and Cooper grinned as he shook it. His teeth were even and white, his smile genuine and as his large hand closed over hers, Andy felt her smile widening. He turned back to the car and Sam followed him around.

"It's giving you trouble again?" he asked, his eyes still on Andy as he shook his head at her. _Pathetic_, he mouthed, giving her a grin.

She walked over and leaned towards him and whispered, "Tell me he runs, and I might have to rethink my options." He crossed his arms and looked at her with a small smile.

"You know you're going to pay for that, right?"

She grinned and quirked an eyebrow. "You promise?"

He rolled his eyes and turned away. "Go find my sister."

Cooper popped his head up and looked at her. "She's in the shed." He pointed to a smallish outbuilding near the garage and then once again bent to the engine. Andy looked over her shoulder once at Sam and Cooper as they bent over the engine and heard the distant chatter of their voices as they exchanged words, discussing the state of the vehicle. Clearly very comfortable with each other, she heard Sam's laugh echo across the yard and as the sound reached her ears, she felt her heart lift a little more. The lawn had been freshly mown, probably the day before, and she felt the grass against her feet as she made her way to the shed in her flip flops.

They'd left at the crack of dawn, eager to get down and spend some time before the party began the next day. Around her, she could hear the sounds of summer; birds singing, water moving, leaves rustling in the breeze. The air smelled clean; a little wet from the morning dew on the grass. Andy smiled as she realized how long it had been since she'd been out of the city. She loved her life; loved her job. She loved where she lived, but there was something about being out in the country without the sounds of traffic, or of people. She looked up at the sky; blue, with clouds that resembled scoops of vanilla ice cream. She couldn't wait to look up later that night and see the stars.

She walked up to the cement step and put a foot on it as she tapped on the door to the shed. She heard nothing but the stereo blasting something with a heavy bass beat and she pushed the door open with the flat of her hand.

Inside, the room was small. The building itself was at least twice as long and twice as wide as the small sheds Andy was used to seeing, but Sarah had every inch of space filled. The floor was cement, and it appeared that the building had been weatherized, to protect the contents from the winters. Against the far wall was a cabinet with a set of shelves above it. On those shelves sat dozens of bowls and plates with cards propped up against them, something written on them. Below the shelves sat jars of glaze, various wooden tools with metal ends, brushes and other odds and ends that Andy couldn't identify.

Along the length of the right wall there were canvases stacked, some 4 deep; some were used, some not. The left wall was covered from the waist up in corkboard, sketches and photos pinned to it in some sort of order that was obvious only to Sarah. And on a stool in the middle of the room, sat Sarah. Her curls had been pulled back, twisted up, a pencil stuck through the knot at the back. She wore a tank top and a pair of ratty, stained jeans, no shoes; and was bobbing her head in time to the music, singing to herself. She was up to her elbows in clay, foot pumping a pedal, spinning the potter's wheel in front of her. As the door swung wide, the light in the room changed and she glanced up and smiled. She waved her forward and then wiped her hand on the rag hanging over her knee and grabbed a remote from the table next to her. She turned down the volume on the stereo.

"Grab a chair. How was the drive?" Andy pulled up another stool and sat on the other side of the table, a little ways back from the wheel that was still spinning.

"Not bad. What are you working on?"

Sarah hooked a thumb over her shoulder at the shelves with the dishes. "Trying to fill some orders while I've got a little spare time. Once school's out for the summer I can spend as much time out here as I want, but these days, I don't get to do this as much as I'd like." Andy glanced over at the shelves. "Take a look if you want."

Andy nodded. "Okay." She stood up and walked over and the music turned up behind her. She moved from left to right, noting the rich earthy tones of the glazed pottery, how the browns and blues and greens all seemed to melt together. The cards all had names on them; customers, Andy guessed. She ran a finger down the side of a bowl; feeling the smooth, almost glassy surface. She glanced over the jars sitting on the cabinet, not spending much time there. She walked past a kiln, and then around the corner and started looking at the paintings. As she put her hand on the first stack, the volume went down on the stereo.

"Did you meet Cooper?" Sarah asked.

Andy nodded and turned around to face her with a smug look on her face. "A little young for you, isn't he?"

The wheel slowed, and finally stopped as Sarah's foot stopped moving and she raised her eyes to Andy's, pink rising to the apples of her cheeks. "He told you I said that?" Andy nodded, raising her eyebrows. "He's taking this spilling his guts thing a little far," she said with a short laugh, as she looked down and began separating the bowl from the wheel with a wire strung between two wooden handles. Andy watched as she walked it over and placed in the kiln. Then she wiped her hands, pretty ineffectually on the rag and tilted her head toward the door. "Let's get you settled."

They walked out and past the men who had lowered the hood on the car and were leaning against it, just talking. Approaching the truck, Andy reached inside and hauled out their bags.

"Are they heavy?" Sarah asked.

"Not too bad. Here, Sam's is lightest." It only had a few changes of clothes, an extra pair of shoes and his shower and shaving stuff in it. She and Sarah each put a bag over their shoulders and started making their way from the gravel driveway to the path leading towards the house.

"Need any help?" Cooper called.

Sarah waved her hand. "Don't strain yourself," she called over her shoulder. Andy looked back and saw Cooper's face split into a wide grin and when she peeked back at Sarah, she saw her smiling to herself.

Sarah pushed the door open and walked into the dark house, still barefoot.

"Do you want my shoes off?" Andy asked, and Sarah shook her head as she walked through the small mudroom and then opened a second door.

"Don't worry about it. We'll probably end up back outside sooner or later. No point in sitting in the house on a day like this." She pushed that door open and they walked in.

Andy laughed. "Tell that to Sam. The way he was talking I half expect to find him camped out in front of the television in about ten minutes."

"Don't let him get away with that. Cooper bought a canoe last month, and I'd pay money to see Sam tip that thing over." Andy stepped into the house and stopped as Sarah paused in front of her. She started pointing. "Closet here. This is the kitchen." It was long and narrow. Andy guessed maybe 18 feet from one end to the other. Maybe 7 or 8 feet across. There was a small desk built into the wall on the immediate right, and then counter all the way down to the second doorway on the other end of the room. About two-thirds of the way down was the oven and stove. Against the far wall sat the sink and dishwasher, and a window overlooking the side yard. Then some more counter around the corner, and next to that, a large refrigerator. Between Andy and the refrigerator sat a small table with two chairs under a window. She followed Sarah past the doorway.

She tapped on a door. "This is the door to the basement. It's mostly storage right now and I don't know if you'll even go down there, so I won't waste your time with it right now." Opposite that door was a little hallway. "Two bedrooms down here. Ours is on the left; and the one on the right is full of my stuff right now. Bathroom right here." She reached over and tapped another door.

They walked into the main part of the house and Andy finally saw something she recognized. The dining room sat in front of her. On the left side of the room, there was a fireplace, a couple of plants taking up space on the mantle. Other than that, it was just open space. On the right side, It looked the same as the picture she'd seen of it, except the Christmas decorations were gone. A large dark wooden table stretched along the wall, chairs pushed in around the perimeter. It was unfinished; the wood looked like it had been reincarnated and made into a table; maybe first used somewhere else. A metal chandelier hung above it. Looking closer at the chandelier, Andy guessed that it was handmade. It was heavy-looking and rough, but intentionally so; metal twisted in and around itself to form a sort of globe, bulbs sprouting from the middle around the circumference.

"Yours?" she asked, nodding at it.

Sarah shook her head. "No, a friend of mine did that. I think if I tried welding, I might burn the place to the ground." Then she turned around. "This is the living room."

Andy walked into the room and paused. The room was probably 18 feet by 8 feet and on either end sat a sofa. It looked like there had once been a wall separating the living room from the dining room, but at one point, someone had widened a doorway into a large 10-foot cutout. This resulted in two four-foot walls on either end that worked as dividers between the two rooms. Andy realized immediately that none of the furniture matched.

The living room looked like it had a split personality. At one end, in the middle of one of the short walls was a large flat screen and a small sectional sofa. The furniture on this end was chosen for its function rather than its looks. The end tables were mismatched, probably from thrift stores or garage sales. The couch was some sort of microfiber, in a beautiful bright blue and looked soft and comfortable, with a recliner on one end, a set of cup holders in the arm rest. The paintings that hung on the walls didn't look anything like what she'd seen in the shed. And none of them were signed by Sarah. Maybe from friends.

On the other end, sat another sofa next to a floor lamp with a huge bookshelf next to it. The colors on this side were muted. Browns and beige and green. The couch and tables on this side looked like they were purchased as a set. The shelves were stuffed with novels, and nonfiction, standing vertically, and stacks of papers, auto and travel magazines stuck in horizontally where there was room. A laptop sat on the seat of the sofa, next to a full brown leather briefcase with a shoulder strap. On the end table were two messy stacks of tests, graded and ungraded, red pens and pencils were scattered across the tops of both piles. Around the base of the table were several folders and manilla folders.

Sarah rolled her eyes at it. "Cooper's a nice guy, but his organizational skills are shit."

But the windows were what caught Andy's attention. There were two large picture windows set behind two recliners that sat in the middle of the room. She touched one of the chairs, noting how it turned easily to face the lake. Outside the window was a large deck with a few Adirondack chairs and a table.

The yard sat lower than Andy expected. From the driveway, the house had looked like a one-story. "Does the basement open up to the yard?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, it's a walkout."

She looked around again, smiling at the obvious differences from one side to the other. "You each have your own space," Andy said, grinning at Sarah. "This is great."

Sarah nodded. "It really kind of is," she agreed with a laugh. "It took a lot of work to get it this way, though." She moved, stepping around Andy. "There's not a ton of space, but the party is going to be outside, so it's only us in here. And you'll be on the porch, so you shouldn't have too many unexpected visitors."

"The porch?" Andy said, eyebrows raised. Sarah looked over her shoulder and grinned.

"You'll like it. Don't worry." They walked back into the open space of the dining room and through another door, opposite the side they had originally come through. After stepping through the door, Andy saw that there was another door immediately to the left that led into the kitchen. To the right, was a long narrow "hallway" that was screened in from the waist up. It wound around the corner and ballooned into a larger porch. It was shady and filled with cool morning air, and that summer smell floated back to Andy She nodded. She did like it. The room was butted up against the living room and the deck wrapped around both. Right before Andy turned the corner to walk into the "room", she saw a door set in the wall, leading outside. A double bed was set against the wall with a tiny empty book shelf next to it; a lamp sat on top of that. Sarah dropped Sam's duffel on the bed, remnants of dried clay crusted on the strap, and Andy did the same with her own.

"What if it rains?" she asked.

"We have covers. When we're not using it, they're on all the time, but we knew you were coming, so we thought we'd open it up and air it out a little. Feel free to put them back up if you get cold, or shy," she added with a grin.

"Have you lived here a long time?" Andy asked as she ran her fingers over one of the screens.

Sarah nodded and looked out toward the lake. "A few years."

"Did you buy it when you got married?"

She shook her head. "No. We got married five years ago. Before that, we lived in town. In this tiny little rental. There was crap everywhere," she said with a laugh. "This is a much better fit. Bigger, quieter, more private."

Andy sat down on the bed and opened her bag, digging inside. She glanced at Sarah. "So, you said you met at work. How did that happen?"

She paused, and for a second, looked lost in thought. And then her cheeks colored just a little, and a small smile rose to her lips.

"Something tells me this story is going to be good," Andy said with a slow grin.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Probably not as good as you think." And then she smirked, her eyes sparkling at Andy. "Maybe boring even."

"Yeah, I doubt that."

She took a deep breath and then swung her head toward the lake. "Let's go get some coffee and sit out on the deck."

When they went back inside, the guys were digging in the refrigerator. Sarah grabbed two mugs from the cupboard and poured coffee from the pot into them and splashed some milk into hers. She handed Andy the black one and put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back out to the porch.

"Hey," Sam said. "Where are you taking her?"

Sarah waved over her shoulder. "I'm showing her your naked baby pictures." Andy burst into laughter as they turned the corner.

"I've already seen him naked. I don't think they'd have much impact."

"And I'm sure he looks as ridiculous now as he did then. I don't actually know where the naked baby pictures are," she admitted with a grin. "But it still freaks him out a little when I threaten." They exited through the side door and Andy lowered herself into one of the chairs, and put the cup up to her mouth. She took a sip. Then frowned and took another. Something was off. But Sarah didn't appear to notice.

"So, you and Cooper?" Andy pressed again.

Sarah rolled her eyes and looked at her. "Alright. But some of this stuff, you should just keep to yourself. Sam doesn't need to know the sordid details."

Andy turned a little, perching on her side in the chair.

"Okay," Sarah said with a smile. "I guess I'll start at the beginning."

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><p><strong>Seven Years Earlier<strong>

Sarah readjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she moved through the empty hallways of the high school. It was Friday, the second week of school, and she was on her way to a faculty meeting. She was late, and she knew it, but she hadn't had the heart to kick out her two favorite students. Seniors this year, they'd started working on their portfolios the year before, hoping to get into art school, and now, they both had a free hour at the end of the day for independent study. Sarah had been sitting with them and discussing their plans for the year, and when she looked at her watch, was stunned to see that the hour had gone by. The bell had rung, but they'd worked through it. So she was a half hour late. Maybe she'd get lucky. Maybe the meeting was over.

She approached the classroom and peeked in the window. No such luck. The room was full. She shook her head and took a breath and opened the door. She entered the room at the back, and gave dirty looks to the people who glanced back at her. She should be nicer, she knew, but it had been a long day.

Charlotte Jacobson, one of the chemistry teachers, was up at the front of the room, talking about the carnival fundraiser one of the student organizations was planning for later in the month. She gave Sarah a small wave and Sarah slid into an empty desk. From her left, someone handed her the sign-up sheet. She didn't look up as she grabbed it, scribbled her name, and then passed it back. Her hand touched theirs and static electricity jumped between them and she snatched her hand away, finally raising her eyes to theirs.

She didn't know him; Sarah was sure of it. She ran through her memory, trying to figure out if she'd seen him before, but came up blank. She wasn't the most active faculty member on staff; she mostly just kept to her students, put in her time helping out in other areas when required. But she was certain she would have remembered him.

His eyes were blue; the brightest, clearest blue she'd ever seen. And his hair was more dark red than brown in this light. He was young. Maybe late twenties. He sat leaned back in the desk, long khaki-clad legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He was wearing a brown sweater and had one arm folded over his stomach. The other was stretched out, hand still holding the paper she'd passed him. The one thought that passed through her mind was to wonder how someone who looked so tall could possibly fit into one of those tiny little desks. And then he blinked at her, and the spell was broken. Sarah turned around and faced forward, feeling her heart speed up a few beats.

Over the next hour or so, other teachers took their turns discussing their plans and curriculums for the year, discussing funding for supplies. Most of this had already been hashed out the previous year, so Sarah found her mind wandering and she pulled out a notebook and started sketching. The woman next to her gave her a dirty look and Sarah returned it. They weren't talking about her department. She didn't even notice at first when Mike Johnson, one of the social sciences teachers mentioned Cooper Lafferty. But she heard his desk creak as he shifted in it next to her and her ears perked up. Apparently, he'd been introduced at one of the meetings in the week before classes started. But she must have been distracted, or bored, or it had been right at the beginning and she'd snuck in afterwards. She looked over casually, and saw his eyes moving across the group, giving a little wave.

He was somewhat embarrassed by the attention, she thought. Maybe a little shy. And he had reason to be, from the way all the single women in the room let their eyes linger on him an instant too long. Sarah glanced down at his empty ring finger. He'd probably be swarmed by the time he got to the door. Again, his eyes met hers and she held the gaze for a moment and then looked away.

And then the meeting was over. Sarah quickly gathered her things, shoved the notebook into her canvas bag and then slung it over her shoulder and was out of the room like a shot. She didn't even look over her shoulder as she left.

When she got home, she'd eaten dinner and changed. She let her hair hang down her back and had put on something a little less teacher-like for some drinks at the bar with her friend. She walked in, unbuttoning her leather jacket, immediately catching sight of Kit. She and Kit had gone to college together and ended up working in different schools in the same city. Kit taught in one of the elementaries and was extremely passionate about her job. She talked continuously about her students to anyone who cared to listen, was constantly amazed by their progression. She was involved in several committees, was busy every weekend either setting up for, or working car washes, and bake sales and other fundraisers for various organizations. If they hadn't known each other for years, Sarah was pretty sure they'd hate each other.

Kit was tiny. She looked like she could be a student at Sarah's school. Maybe 5'3", almost waifish, with a blonde pixie cut and huge brown eyes. And as a result, she always had men swarming around her whenever Sarah met her at the bar. Tonight was no different. Sarah pushed past the guy that was currently leaning on the table talking quietly to her and Kit rolled her eyes at Sarah and then sent the guy back to his friends.

"I guess I don't have to ask how your day was," she said snidely, taking a drink.

"My day was just fine," Sarah replied with a smile. "Nothing special." She signaled to Dave, the bartender, and he reached into the cooler for her usual. "Did any of your little angels cure cancer today?" she asked snarkily.

"Funny." She pulled the olive out of her martini and popped it into her mouth. "I hear you've got a new history teacher this year."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at her. "Then you already know more about him than I do. I only learned his name today."

"That's because you don't listen." She gestured with the plastic sword at the people swarming around. Sarah recognized several of them from school. "The woman over there was talking about him to her friend while I was in the restroom." She gave Sarah a sly look. "Said he was sexy and single."

"I wouldn't know anything about that," Sarah said as the server brought over her beer.

"So you don't think he's sexy?"

"Kit, you've been dating the same guy for four years. Why do you even care?"

Kit shrugged. "I like to window shop." She leaned closer. "Point him out to me."

Sarah scanned the room quickly. "He's not here."

"How would you know? You barely looked up from the table."

"Fine," she said, exasperated. She stood up at the table and slowly moved her eyes around the room. At first, she thought she was right, that he wasn't there. But then a small group of women moved out of her line of vision and towards the bar and she saw him in the corner, shooting pool with some guys she didn't recognize. "There." She sat down and pointed. "The guy in the gray shirt."

Kit put her elbow on the table and propped her head up in it and stared at him. Sarah took a drink of her beer, and soon her eyes were on him too. He really was an excellent specimen. His faded jeans rode low on his hips and as he bent over the pool table, the stained glass lamp cast light onto his hair, making the red stand out again. He lined up his shot and moved the cue back and forth twice, aiming. At the last second, he sent the cue moving towards the white ball and his eyes raised, found and focused on Sarah's. A flash of recognition crossed his face, and he didn't look away. The ball he'd been aiming at slammed into the corner pocket and as he straightened, one of his friends clapped a hand on his shoulder and he broke the eye contact.

Sarah looked towards Kit who had her eyes on her.

"He was staring at you," she said, a smile taking over her face

"Maybe he was staring at _you_," Sarah said, blowing it off.

"Uh, no. Absolutely not." She narrowed her eyes. "So how long has it been?"

"Since what?"

"You know what I'm asking." She nudged her. "Since you got laid."

Sarah finished her beer. "You're a nosy bitch, you know that?"

"Wow, that long?" Kit raised her empty glass at the bartender and he waved back.

"Long enough," Sarah muttered.

"Maybe you should just take him home with you."

Sarah looked at her in disbelief. "Yeah, I'm sure that's going to happen," she said sarcastically.

"Used to happen all the time," Kit murmured, keeping her eyes on Cooper.

Sarah glared at her. "Well, it hasn't happened lately."

"That's _exactly_ my point."

"I'm not interested in dating anyone," Sarah said, dismissively. "After that last douche bag, I'm done."

"No one is asking you to marry the guy. Just take him for a test drive," Kit said with a suggestive smirk. Sarah rolled her eyes and then grabbed Kit's empty glass and her bottle and walked them up to the bar. She leaned over and tossed the bottle into the trash behind the counter and Dave passed her their refills. She flashed a smile at him and turned and crashed into the person who was standing just a little too closely behind her.

Her beer was salvaged but Kit's martini was currently soaking Cooper Lafferty's gray shirt long-sleeved T-shirt. Her head jerked up and she looked at him, an apology rising to her lips as he pulled the wet fabric away from his chest. Up close, he looked even bigger. He was tall, like she'd thought; the top of her head barely cleared his chin. He was more lanky than bulky, but the forearms peeking out from his long sleeves were strong-looking, and his hands were large, fingers plucking at his shirt.

"I am _so_ sorry," she said, reaching behind her to grab a fistful of napkins. She passed them to him and he laughed and pressed them against his shirt.

"I don't think these are going to do a lot of good," he said. His voice was low, lower than she'd expected and the timbre was doing funny things to her, echoing inside her. He tossed the wet napkins back onto the bar and looked down at her with a smile. "But now I have an excuse to buy you a drink."

Sarah had been twisted around, setting the empty glass back onto the bar and she turned slowly. "Actually, you have an excuse to buy my friend a drink. That was hers."

"Somehow I figured that," he said, glancing at her beer. "But it was a decent opener; I thought I'd better use it."

Sarah rolled her eyes and tried to step past him, but he didn't move. "I'm going back. You can give it to her yourself." She saw an opening in the crowd of people and cut through them, leaving him standing there.

She slid into the booth and Kit raised her eyebrows at her. "What did he say to you? You look…frazzled," she said with a laugh.

"I do not," Sarah said, making a face. "I'm embarrassed. I dumped your entire drink down the front of his shirt."

"You should have told him to take it off," Kit said with a smirk. "Or I guess you could save that for later," she murmured as Cooper walked up and set another martini on the table.

"I hear this belongs to you," he said, grinning at her. Kit beamed back at him and slid over. He glanced over at Sarah but she kept her eyes on the table and didn't move from her perch on the outside of the bench. So, he sat down next to Kit. He turned to her and held out his hand. "Cooper."

"Kit," she said pointing to herself as she shook his hand. "Sarah," she said pointing across the table. He turned to face her, a slow smile making its way across his face. He held out his hand and she hesitated. His smile widened in challenge and finally she stuck her hand out and grasped his firmly, giving it a shake. He held it a moment too long and she raised her eyes to his. Then they shifted over to Kit who was wearing a tiny triumphant smile.

"So," he said, turning to Kit. "How do you two know each other? I don't think I saw you at any of the faculty meetings in the last month." Kit shook her head and proceeded to tell him how they'd met in college, as roommates their first year. Sarah knew the story and she let her mind and eyes wander over him. He really was just…something else. He wasn't her normal type. She usually went for someone smaller, less imposing. Someone, quieter, who was interested in the things she was interested in.

Judging by the way he'd climbed into their booth and just jumped into conversation, he was one of those people who could easily talk with strangers; something Sarah had never quite mastered. She was good with a quick, biting retort, but the concept of small talk generally escaped her. And she felt dwarfed next to him. She could easily picture him picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder. _Stop thinking about that._ Okay, so she was attracted to him. There was no lying about that. And it had been a long time since she'd been attracted to someone. A long eight months. Maybe Kit was right. What would be the harm?

He held his beer bottle loosely, bringing it up to his mouth every now and again. Sarah noticed that the hair on his arms was a dark gold, that there was a smattering of light freckles peppering the skin; he spent some time outside. And his legs were long. She was reminded of that as he shifted in his seat and his knee slid up alongside hers. He didn't even glance at her, but his leg didn't move; it stayed pressed up against hers and she felt something fluid run through her. Telling herself she was just checking, just experimenting, she pressed her leg against his once, and felt a little unnerved as the pressure was returned.

She tried to think of something to say, but two guys slid some chairs up to the end of the booth and she jerked back in surprise, sliding over in the seat about six inches. They set their drinks down on the table and started talking to Cooper. He looked annoyed but introduced them as two of his friends from high school. He further explained that he'd grown up in St. Catharines, and had only recently moved back for this job. This was the first opportunity he'd had to go out with them. The one he called Brian was staring at Sarah; was leaning on the table in her space, and she turned to him and gave him a dirty look.

"What the hell do you think you're looking at?" she snapped. She felt Kit kick her under the table and she winced. "What?" she hissed. Kit just rolled her eyes. Across the table, Cooper was grinning at her, eyes narrowed in curiosity. She looked away and pulled her legs in close to the booth. As conversation resumed, she reached into her purse and pulled out her ringing cell phone. Her brother. It was too loud in the bar to answer and so she sent him to voicemail and then fired off a text, telling him she'd call him when she got home.

Brian had set his pint of beer on the table in front of him and now had his elbows on the table on either side of it. Every now and again, his arms would fall forward and lay on the table in front of him. Once, his fingers brushed Sarah's and instead of saying something that would embarrass Kit, she fought off a slight wave of revulsion and slid over in the seat a little further. If anyone noticed, they didn't say anything and she kept pretending to listen as the guys talked, as Kit talked, but didn't have much to add. Her ears only perked up when she heard someone say her name. Cooper was looking at her like he'd asked her a question.

"What did you say?" she asked. He smiled at her.

"I asked what classes you're teaching this year."

"Oh," she said, mind scrambling a little. She took a deep breath. "Well, there's a few of us in the department, and so we divide up the intro classes, and then since we've all been here a few years, and we each have our separate interests, I get pottery and I just took over the digital photography class. I'm still a little new to it, but I'm quick learner." _Why the hell are you babbling? He doesn't need to know all that._

The server brought a round of shots over, ordered by Cooper's other friend Chris and passed them around the table. Sarah grabbed hers and tossed it back neatly. She felt warmth slide down her throat and spread through her chest. She took a deep breath, a little steadier. "What about you?"

He smiled again. "Well, since I'm new, the others are a little…reluctant to share some of the upper level courses. I've got a few sections of intros and one upper level European history." He had a great smile; an easy smile. Like it was his natural expression. And for some reason, it calmed Sarah a little. She felt herself relax a tiny bit as she looked at him.

Brian came back from the bathroom and instead of sitting in the chair, slid into the booth next to Sarah. She wasn't sure what time he'd come into the bar, but he was drunk; she could smell him. She slid over to the wall and shot him yet another dirty look.

"Hey, man," Cooper said. "She doesn't like you. Get out," he said nodding at him, unsmiling. Chris laughed, but Kit was looking at Sarah, her smile fading. Brian must have thought Cooper was joking and because he didn't move. Sarah moved her purse between them and then froze as she saw him put his arm up on top of the booth behind her. She took a few self-conscious breaths, feeling her heart pound just a little. She was starting to feel hot, cornered, and she was starting to panic, just the smallest bit. Kit reached out and placed her hand on top of Sarah's and their eyes met. Sarah shook her head and then grabbed her purse and stood up on the seat. She stepped over Brian, not feeling the slightest bit sorry when her purse smacked him in the face. She hopped down onto the floor and weaved through the people, toward the bathroom.

She walked across the room and down the little hall to the restroom where she stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself. It was cooler in the bathroom. The AC was pumping through the vent. She stood there a few minutes and as she began to cool down, she turned her thoughts to Cooper. To his smile. She felt herself calm down a little more. She took a few deep breaths and then closed her eyes for a moment. It didn't matter how great his smile was because she'd completely embarrassed herself. If he was a talker, it would be all over the school tomorrow that she'd been just moments away from an all out panic attack in the bar.

Mad at herself, she swore once. Then she did it again, because it made her feel better. She put her purse over her shoulder and then pushed open the door. And froze. Cooper was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Slumped over, he was closer to her height, and his eyes met hers directly. The door swung shut behind her, smacking her in her shoulders and she shuffled forward, closer to him.

"You have good instincts," he said with a small smile. "That guy's an asshole."

Sarah's hands fidgeted on the strap of her bag. Leftover nervousness, she thought. "I thought he was your friend."

"He was. Fifteen years ago."

"So you left _my_ friend at the table with him? Nice guy," she said sarcastically, feeling the bite of her own words and inside she cringed a little.

"Actually, I think she's outside looking for you."

"Oh." Her eyes went to the exit and she licked her lips. "I guess I should go find her." She turned away.

"I'll go with you," he said and pushed off the wall, straightening up to his full height. She shook her head.

"You don't have to," she said as she stopped in her tracks and looked up at him.

"I know," Cooper said simply. He walked next to her, giving her a couple of feet of space and reached above her and held the door open for her. Sarah stepped outside and pulled her leather jacket together, buttoning it up quickly. She scanned the parking lot and finally saw her car, and Kit leaning against it, phone to her ear.

She turned to face Cooper, to say goodbye, but he just smiled and nodded to her as he turned back, hands in his pockets. Sarah bit her lip and shook her head at herself and made her way over to the car.

* * *

><p>The screen door banged open and Sam walked out. Andy turned her head and looked at him and felt a smile spread over her face.<p>

"What do _you_ want?" she asked.

"Not you," he said with a grin. He looked at his sister. "Your husband wants to know what you still need from town."

"I made him a list."

"He lost it."

Sarah rolled her eyes. She looked at Andy. "I told you; complete shit. I'll be right back." Sam fell into the chair next to Andy and she sat back; both of them stared at the lake. Sam picked her cup off the table and took a drink and then made a face as he swallowed.

"Is this decaf?"

"_That's_ it," Andy said. "I was wondering why it tasted funny."

"They must be out of regular," he said as he got up and tossed it out of the cup and off the balcony.

"I was drinking that," Andy said, peeved.

"You've been out here a half hour, and the cup was still full. And it was cold. You were_ not_ drinking it," he said holding out his hand to her. She narrowed her eyes and him and put her hand in his, letting him pull her up. She let her arms creep around his waist and pressed her nose against his neck. His arms wrapped around her, and she flattened her hands against his back, feeling the muscles move as he breathed. "She likes you, you know," he said quietly.

She smiled. "I like her too."

The screen door banged again, and Andy let go of him, turning around. Sarah came out, her bare feet slapping against the wood. "Hey, you should go with him, otherwise he'll be gone for hours and he'll come back with cereal and motor oil, and forget half the stuff on the list."

"You should be nicer to him," Sam said, grinning at his sister.

"I like it when she's mean," Cooper said as he came out behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders and she leaned back against him. Andy noticed that when she did that, his chin rested right on top of her head. "Are you ready?" he asked Sam.

Sam nodded and leaned over and slid his hand behind Andy's head, pulling her mouth to his for a quick kiss. "We'll be back soon."

"Don't hurry," she said and he flashed his dimples. They walked down the stairs and around the side of the house and Sarah and Andy again took their seats.

"Where was I?" Sarah asked.

Andy thought back. "Um, Cooper just walked you out of the bar."

"Right." She nodded.

* * *

><p>Sarah didn't see Cooper for several days. The social sciences area was on second floor, and art was on first floor, way at the end of the building next to the parking lot. They didn't have much chance to cross paths. And for that she was grateful. She'd been a little nervous walking into the building on Monday, unsure of what may have been passed along as gossip from the Friday before, but the people she was friendly with weren't acting any differently. At least he knew when to keep things to himself. <em>Or maybe he just didn't think she was something worth talking about<em>, she argued with herself.

She saw him once, late in the week. He was coming out of the teacher's lounge as she was walking up to it, and he turned her way. She was still a little far away from the door, and he was talking to someone, a younger woman that Sarah was pretty sure worked in the activities office. His eyes met hers, and as they walked towards each other, they stayed on her. She looked away as she passed, but swore she could literally feel his head turning to follow her. And she smiled. She walked into the lounge and grabbed her lunch out of the fridge and left the room again, making the long walk back to her classroom.

Her classroom was actually two rooms adjoined by a single door. In the main room, the larger room, were a dozen tables that looked like they had originally belonged to the science department; wooden frames with thick black tops. They were organized into four rows of three with chairs scattered randomly between them. She didn't use a seating chart. The kids were free to sit wherever they wanted as long as there was room. In the other room there were six tables, three on either side of the room, a couple of wheels, some easels. And every inch of space was covered in shelving. Basically any supply that wasn't going to be used in her intro classes was in this second room; it was a supply room used by all the art classes. And it was where her independent study students worked. She walked in and saw that a couple had snuck in over their lunch hour to eat and work and she smiled. She walked up behind a quiet dark-haired girl named Heather and watched her move her brush over the canvas.

She didn't say anything, just watched for a few moments and then moved on to Brady. He was sitting in a corner, sketchpad up on his knee as he ate an apple. He raised his eyes to Sarah when she walked up, but didn't move to show her what he was working on.

"Something new?" she asked.

He shrugged noncommittally and closed the cover. "It's just some ideas." He started packing his stuff up and she shook her head.

"Stay. I'm going to eat at my desk." She turned and walked through the door and up to the front of the room and sat down, clearing a space in the piles of turned in projects so she wouldn't spill on anything. She reached over and flipped on the small radio she left sitting on the corner and pulled out a magazine.

She held her salad in one hand and ate with the other, feet propped up on the desk with the magazine in her lap. She'd just taken her first bite when there was a knock at her door. She looked over her shoulder and saw Cooper standing there. She ignored the way her heart fluttered in her chest and waved him in with her fork and put her feet back on the ground. She put the bowl on the desk but he shook his head and held up a hand.

"Keep eating. I was wondering why I never saw you in the teacher's lounge before today."

"Excellent powers of deduction. You found me out," she said taking another bite. He sat on the edge of the nearest work table, right in front of her and she felt herself grow nervous as he continued to watch her. "Did you need something?"

He shook his head. "I just wanted to say hi. When I saw you in the hall, I was busy, so I didn't get a chance."

She nodded. "Alright then. Hi." She flashed him a smile, dimples and all.

He crossed his arms and looked at her, long enough so she started feeling a little uncomfortable. She raised her eyebrows and looked down at her lunch; started paging through the magazine. Finally, he spoke again.

"Are you going to that Welcome Back dinner thing tonight?"

Sarah laughed quietly. "Not really my thing."

"What do you mean."

"I went the first year, because I thought it was mandatory, but I've blown it off since then. They don't even ask me anymore." She was talking too much.

"It's not mandatory?" he asked, shaking his head. "Of course, it's not. Got suckered into that one," he said with a short laugh.

"Don't worry," Sarah said, looking down at her food. "It's just a quick dinner. It's still warm enough, so Matt Carlson, one of the gym teachers? He'll grill burgers and chicken and some other stuff. You'll fill a plate, eat, and then be able to take off. An hour tops."

"You're sure you're not going?"

"Uh, no," she said with a laugh as she mixed her salad up some more. "He and I don't really like each other that much."

"Why?"

"Well," she said, taking a breath, wondering if she should even mention it. Then she just figured, _what the hell_. "Two years ago at the Homecoming pep rally he put his hand on my ass and then I broke his finger." Cooper laughed. She smiled at him. "He's still holding a grudge." She pointed her fork at him. "So, don't believe a word he says about me. He's biased." Still talking too much.

"I'll try to remember that." She took another bite. "So, what _are_ you doing tonight?" he asked.

She thought about it. Her big plan had been to go home and start working with a new photo editor on her laptop. "I guess I don't really know. Maybe I'll call Kit and go for a drink. Same place we were at before." That actually sounded like a welcome idea as she considered the fact that she still had five hours of work left ahead of her.

"So if I bail on this dinner thing, I might see you there tonight?" Her eyes flew back to his in surprise and for a second, she forgot to breathe. The smile had all but dropped from his face and he had his head tipped back ever so slightly. He suddenly looked like a man with a plan. Her mind zoomed back to the conversation she'd had the previous week. The one about taking him for a spin. She ran her eyes over him, hoping he didn't notice.

She nodded. "We'll be there a few hours probably."

He stood up. "Alright then." He flashed a smile at her and turned and walked out the door. It took her a moment to look away from the empty doorway and then she tapped her fork against the plastic bowl.

"Hmm."

* * *

><p>She felt stupid. She was sitting at the bar talking to Dave, waiting for Kit to show up. She'd gone home, eaten, showered and gotten ready, actually taking the time to put on make-up and to run some stuff through her hair that made it shine in the light. And she felt stupid. She sipped at her drink, a little gin and tonic instead of beer. It was eight o'clock and Kit was late. She'd been waiting a half hour or so. But more importantly, Cooper hadn't shown up. She knew he'd never specifically said that he would make it, but the implication had been heavy. And she'd worn make-up for Christ's sake. Sarah shook her head and pulled her phone out. She dialed Kit, but only got her voicemail and left a peevish message and then turned back to the bar. Dave was watching the television mounted above the liquor bottles as he mixed drinks and she reached over and flipped open the lid on the condiment tray. She used a toothpick to stab another wedge of lime for her drink.<p>

She squeezed it and then dropped it in, pushing it to the bottom with her stir stick. Kit slid onto the stool next to her.

"So sorry I'm late."

"You should try answering your phone," Sarah said as she lifted her glass.

Kit pulled it out of her purse and looked at it. She made a face. "Sorry. I had it turned off at dinner."

"Where'd you guys go?"

"This cute little place around the corner from our apartment." She stood up on the rungs of her stool and tapped Dave on the shoulder.

He glanced at her and grabbed the shaker and the gin.

* * *

><p>The two of them sat there until almost ten, when Kit stood up and put her purse over her shoulder.<p>

"I think that's it for me. I told him I'd be back at a decent hour."

Sarah looked at her watch and nodded. "Me too. I guess." She'd been drinking water for the last half hour anyway, and she could get that at home. "Let's get out of here." She buttoned up her jacket and turned to leave, and again, smacked right into Cooper.

"Leaving already?" he asked, as his hands came down on her arms, steadying her. She pulled away.

Sarah shook her head. "Sorry. We've been here for a while already. Time to go home." She glanced to her left and a little ways behind him, Kit was forcefully pointing her finger at her, the way she would at a misbehaving child, mouthing _Stay_.

She ignored her and tried to side-step him, but he moved with her. "Look, I'm sorry," he said bending his head down a little, his voice getting quieter, a little more intimate. "I got ambushed at that dinner." He flashed a quick smile at her, and she felt herself waver. "You said an hour tops. They kept me there forever. I came straight here when I got a chance." Sarah paused and again, looked toward Kit. Kit grinned and waved at her before turning around and leaving the building.

She took a deep breath. He was telling the truth. She could still smell the charred odor from the grill lingering on his clothing. She exhaled slowly and then met his eyes. "Fine. I'll stay for one more. But just one," she said, holding up a finger to illustrate. He smiled at her and nodded.

"That sounds fair."

They stayed at the bar, each ordering a beer. Cooper paid for hers and Sarah let him, mostly because she'd already closed out her tab, and a little because it just felt good to let him pay for her. He was talking about the things people talk about when they first meet. Work, college, hobbies. When he asked her questions, she answered them, but she never offered up any information not specifically requested. His body was turned towards her, long legs taking up most of the space between their stools. She was sitting facing the bar, but had her head propped up on a hand, and was looking at him. When she finished her beer, she signaled to Dave for another for each, and this time, she paid.

They both turned to grab their bottles and this time, when they turned back, Sarah swiveled her body. Their legs were staggered, and she felt his thigh press against hers, like it had that first night. She refused to look down, and instead watched him as he talked about a trip he'd taken to Ireland the year before. She was listening, but her eyes were focused on his mouth. Every time he paused to take a drink, he licked his lips when he finished. Finally, she set her empty on the bar and turned back to him. They looked at each other. Her eyes flew over those shoulders, down his chest, to his legs. She unconsciously pulled her lower lip into her mouth, wetting it with her tongue and then her eyes moved to his face. He looked pleased that she'd been staring. And he returned the favor. She felt warm as his eyes slowly ran down from her face and over her body. After a long moment, his eyes met hers again. He didn't say anything, but he reached up, hesitated for a beat, and when she didn't flinch, he took one of her curls in his hand, wrapping it around his fingers. He smoothed his thumb over it and let go, letting it spring back and then he looked at her, completely guileless.

"Do you want to get out of here?" The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she'd been thinking them. She hadn't intended on it. She was supposed to go home. She was supposed to leave him sitting there. But instead of taking it back, she stared at him, waiting.

He nodded. "Yeah, I do."

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews are always welcome. And if you don't enjoy a little deviation from Sandy, don't feel bad. I wrote this mainly for myself :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: Again, this is a spinoff/sequel to The Distance. If you don't like that, don't read it. For instance, if your only comment is that this is NOT RB or McSwarek, I've already heard it, so keep it to yourself:)**

**Thanks to everyone who did read this, and double thanks to those who took the time to review. I'm extremely nervous posting this story for a few reasons; mainly because I know it's not the kind of thing most of you are used to. Hang in there. This is a short story. Only one chapter left after this monster. And maybe an epilogue. I'm trying to reign myself in, I swear.**

**Also: This may not be as smutty as some of the stuff out there, but there's a tiny little bit at the beginning. So, if you don't like that kind of thing, you might want to skip over oh...the first eight or nine paragraphs ;)Also, again, there isn't much McSwarek in this chapter. But I promise to make up for it in the next one.**

* * *

><p>His place was only a few blocks away and she followed him there, trying to talk herself out of it the entire way. There were several problems with this plan. Number one: they worked together. Well, not together, but in the same building. It could get awkward. Number two: she wasn't looking for a relationship. She liked her life the way it was. She liked having her time all to herself; liked never having to check in with someone. She wasn't interested in complicating that freedom. Number three: he could be a total player. <em>Which shouldn't be a problem if sex is all you're looking for<em>, she reminded herself. Number four: he could be a really nice guy. _Which __**will**__ be a problem if sex is all you're looking for._ She cranked open the window and let the air blow on her face for a few seconds. Then she shook her head. A bad idea. A very bad idea. She blew out a breath and watched as he pulled his car over. But instead of driving past, instead of turning around, she pulled in behind him.

Sarah got out of the car and locked it up and followed him up to the building. Cooper unlocked the outside door and then put his hand on the small of her back as he guided her up the stairs. She waited patiently, as he flipped through his keys, looking for the right one; a little more impatiently as the key got stuck and he struggled to open the lock. And then they went inside. He flipped on the lights in the hall and she toed her shoes off and walked into the kitchen. She tossed her purse onto the counter, took off her jacket, and tried not to be obvious as she looked around. He closed the door and turned to her, quiet as she flipped on the dining room light and looked around the corner. It was a typical man's apartment. In fact, it reminded her of her brother's place; well-loved furniture, large television, dining room table covered in mail and stacks of paper. The kitchen was clean, which was a good sign. And there were still sealed boxes stacked against the far wall.

"You haven't been here long," she said as he walked up to her.

He glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. "Just a few weeks. I actually still have some more stuff in storage, but I got all the basics, so for now, I'm good." He put his hand on her shoulder as he moved past her to the fridge. In the dimly lit kitchen, the light from the refrigerator brightened up the entire room. "Did you want something else to drink?"

She nodded. She was nervous. She didn't know why. It wasn't like she'd never done this before. When he closed the door to the fridge, the room went slightly dark, lit only by the illumination in the hallway and the dining room. He twisted the top off a beer and handed it to her and she downed half of it in one shot. He grinned. "Take it easy. It's not a race, you know."

She shook her head. "I just never do this," she admitted.

"Do what?" he asked as he tipped his bottle. _He takes up so much space_, she thought. She looked at him, just standing there against the counter. With any other guy, it would be intimidating, maybe even threatening. But Cooper had an air of calm about him. Like he would remain forever unruffled. And as big as he might be, she could tell, even in the short time she'd known him, that he was capable of gentleness. If she hadn't been so undone inside, she would have said that it made her feel safe.

She took a deep breath and then flashed a nervous grin. "Go home with guys I barely know."

He raised his eyebrows. "Sarah, I didn't bring you here to sleep with you."

"What?" she asked, head snapping up in surprise. She was confused. "Why not?"

Cooper leaned back against the counter, holding the bottle up to his mouth one last time. "Well, I guess if you want to that badly, I could change my plans." He grinned. "I'm flexible."

She rolled her eyes and felt a smile spread over her face. He put his beer on the counter behind him and stepped up to her. His hands lifted and in a second were in her hair, thumbs rubbing against the smooth curls. Cooper bent down, and before he kissed her, he said very softly, "We can do this part slow." He used his thumbs to tilt her chin up and then kissed her very gently. It just lasted an instant and when he pulled away, she released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Her eyes met his, and she smiled and reached up, put her hand in the collar of his shirt and pulled him back down. He was smiling back as his mouth met hers, once, and then again, and then his head turned a little. His mouth slanted across hers and as she sighed, his tongue touched hers and he ran his hands down her shoulders, down her arms to her waist. Cooper lifted Sarah up and set her on the counter so he could reach her a little better, then took her face in his hands again.

He stepped in close to her, between her knees and she hooked her feet behind his thighs, pulling him even nearer as her hands skimmed down over his chest and stomach. After a couple of minutes, he pulled back, just for a few seconds, and she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, wetting it. He ran his hands down her legs, and then pulled them up onto his hips and leaned into her. Feeling him hard against her, she let out a shaky breath which earned her a brief flash of a smile. His hands moved up, slid under her shirt and he moved them slowly up her sides, dragging the shirt along for the ride. Sarah lifted her arms and he pushed it all the way up and over her head, letting it fall to the floor behind him. Her hands reached out and she did the same to him, quicker; eager to feel his flesh against hers. Her arms went around him, feeling the hard muscles of his back under her hands. He swept his mouth over hers, kissing her hard, sucking in a quick breath as her teeth nipped at his lower lip. Then he slid his hands under her butt and lifted her, carrying her with him to the bedroom.

When they entered the bedroom, Cooper backed up and when his calves hit the mattress, he let Sarah slide down over his body. He sat down heavily and put his hands on her waist and stood her in front of him. She stood between his knees and bent her head, grinning as her mouth fit over his and he pushed her hair back so he could see her face as he kissed her. And then his large warm hands moved down to her shoulders and his mouth followed pressing against the slim column of her neck. He hooked a finger in each of her bra straps and as he gently used his teeth against her skin, he tugged them down over her shoulders. One hand ran around to her back and it took a single second for him to spring the catch at the back and another for her to toss it into the corner. He flattened his hand against her back and again lifted his face to hers, groaning against her as her tongue thrust into his mouth and her fingers wove their way into his hair. He moved his hands up, over her waist and ribs to her breasts and then he tore his mouth from hers and it traveled over her skin to find a nipple and she sucked in an unsteady breath.

As she leaned into him, holding his head against her, Cooper moved one hand down to her jeans and after struggling impatiently for a moment, tipped his face down to look. He had to use both hands but he finally unbuttoned them and while pressing a few kisses against the flesh of her stomach, inch by inch, he tugged her jeans and underwear down over her hips, letting them fall to the floor. She stepped out of them and kicked the whole mess behind her.

Cooper lifted his head and for a long moment his hot gaze traveled up her legs, to the curve of her hip, over her flat stomach and small breasts and finally, ended at her face. Sarah stared back unabashedly and then she moved even closer and her hands pushed at his shoulders. He leaned back on his elbows with a slow grin and she took her time unfastening his pants, letting her hands stroke over him through the fabric until his eyes narrowed and he groaned her name and reached down, grabbing at her hands, stopping her. She glanced up with an innocent smile and then pulled down his pants. Then, her teeth worrying at her lower lip, she reached down and removed his boxers. She kept her face down, trying to hide the smile that refused to fade from her face and Cooper took her by the arms and gathered her to him.

She climbed up, straddling his thighs, covering his mouth with hers as she wound her arms around his neck. He wrapped one arm around her waist and worked his other hand between them. When he touched her the first time her breath caught in her throat. She dragged her mouth away from his and she stared at him. Her green eyes locked onto his with such intensity that he paused, chest heaving as he caught his breath. Then she shimmied her hips against his hand and he touched her again, loving the way her chin lifted and her head fell back momentarily; loving the feel of her hair, as for just a second, it brushed at the tops of his knees.  
>He continued until her breath came heavy, until she squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. And then he put his hand behind her, holding her against him as he turned her back onto the bed.<p>

Sarah scooted up to the head of the bed and Cooper crawled up there after her, stretching out over the edge to grab a condom out of a half-unpacked cardboard box sitting on the floor. He tore into the foil and then it only took a moment. When he slid into her, she was already almost there, and she gasped a little, arching against him. He held himself motionless for a few seconds, waiting for her to look at him, and when her eyes opened again, they were heavy-lidded; when they focused on him, he began to move. Her legs were still hitched up on his hips and he felt her feet on the backs of his thighs. With each movement, she rose to meet him, breath coming fast and hard. He covered her mouth with his, smothering the tiny noises she was making as he continued to thrust into her. When his hand came down and pressed against her, holding her hips in place as he moved inside her, her eyes snapped open and she moaned loudly in his ear. And when she came, he heard it and he felt it; her limbs tensed, her chest pressed up against him as her neck arched and inside there was a spasming that closed even more tightly around him, bringing him to the brink. After that, all it took was her pulling him closer with her legs and lifting her hips; pressing against him one more time and he cried out, leaning his forehead down against her shoulder.

They lay there a few moments, chests heaving together, breath intermingling. He rolled over, next to her and she turned with him, still locked together at the hip. He ran his hand up and down her thigh a few times, feeling goosebumps rise on her skin as they cooled down. He reached down and pulled the blankets up over them and leaned to her, capturing her mouth with his one more time, hand at the back of her neck. After a long moment, she pulled away, curling up on her side of the bed. Cooper stayed where he was but he reached out and put his hand up to her face, stroking over her lower lip with his thumb. She smiled and turned her head out of his hand, reaching back to pull her hair out from under her.

He pushed himself up. "I'll be right back," he said with a smile and then he got up, out of bed and turned off the overhead light as he walked down the hall to the bathroom. Her eyes followed him as he walked naked out of the room and then Sarah smiled to herself and flipped onto her back, stretching in the darkness. Arms up over her head, flexing her toes and feet. Kit was right. Eight months was seriously way too long to wait. For a second, her eyelids fluttered, then closed and then snapped open again as she heard the sink running in the bathroom. She looked down, at the blankets pulled up to her armpits, at the way the pillows were lined up together, waiting for Cooper to drop into bed next to her and rest his head on them. This was not part of the plan. Sex, yes. Definitely. But she'd never intended to stay. Not even if the bed was warm and comfortable and the company was much better than she was used to.

She glanced warily at the door and then threw back the covers and got up. Rapidly, she began dressing. She found her jeans and underwear easily enough, the bra also. But her socks were missing. She'd just bent down to look under the bed when she heard Cooper come back into the room. Her hands closed around her socks and she stood up and started putting them on.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked, eyebrows drawing together as he leaned stark naked against the door frame with his hands crossed over his chest. Kneeling next to the bed, she forced herself to keep her eyes on his face, and not on his chest or stomach or lower.

"Busy day tomorrow. I should get home." She stood up and walked towards him and he straightened, but instead of stopping in front of him, she walked right past him. He snagged his boxers off the floor and followed her, pulling them on halfway down the hall. Sarah picked her shirt up off the floor in the kitchen and tossed him his. He let it fall to the floor as he watched her finish dressing.

"Tomorrow's Saturday."

She flashed a grin. "Doesn't mean I dont have things to do."

"Like what?" he asked, suspicious.

She shrugged. "Life? I have some of my own stuff to work on."

He was watching her, and suddenly, she wasn't feeling so cavalier. The light in the hallway backlit him, and as he stood there, it played over his shoulders, touching them with a soft glow. She took a breath and steeled herself. "Can I come by?"

She laughed once through her nose and shook her head. "No."

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, his eyes following her back to the entry way. She bent down and picked up her shoes and started putting them on. _Absolutely not_, she thought to herself.

She shook her head. "You were fine," she said to him with a congenial smile as she finished tying her shoes.

"Fine?" he repeated, eyebrows raised. His tone indicated he was a little insulted and she put her jacket on and shrugged. "Unless you're the best actress on the planet, I'm pretty sure I was better than fine," he said with a smug look on his face.

Sarah felt a blush rise to her cheeks and she glared at him for causing it. She put the strap of her bag over her head, let it come to rest across her chest and then turned away from him.

"Sarah," he said, confused. "Where are you going?"

She blew out a breath and turned around, this time staring him down. "I'm going home, I already told you." Her voice was firm. He just stared back at her, unblinking, waiting for an explanation. "Look, I can't stay here," she finally said, her voice crackling in unexpected irritation.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to," she responded quickly. She was lying. She knew that if she wavered even a little, she would be back in that bed in a heartbeat. Every molecule in her body was suddenly screaming at her to stay. But it wasn't part of the plan. He started moving closer, then paused as he noticed the way she unconsciously backed away towards the door. A shadow passed over his face and he drew himself up to his full height and folded his arms across his chest. She looked away, because she was ashamed of herself for lying, and for being snide with him, and because she knew if she looked at him standing there for much longer, she wouldn't be able to find the strength to leave. His hair was dark, rumpled from bed, from her hands, and the heat coming off his skin was so strong, she swore she could feel it from where she stood.

The disappointed look that appeared on his face was almost heart-breaking and her eyes skittered away. "Can I call you?" he asked quietly.

She looked confused. "Why?"

He put his hands on his hips. "Because I want to."

Now she looked completely bewildered. _"Why?" _He took another step towards her and she shook her head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." She turned around. "I'll see you on Monday," she said over her shoulder as she opened the door and walked through it.

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Andy stretched out in the chair. The chairs were set up under the overhang and so their faces and bodies were in the shade, but the sun was beating down on their legs and she wiped a little sweat off her forehead. Sarah was leaned back, sunglasses perched on her nose and for a second Andy thought she had fallen asleep. But then she turned and looked at her.<p>

"Stupid right?"

Andy hesitated a moment and then shook her head. "I'm sure you had reasons."

Sarah gave a short derisive laugh. "Back then, I'm sure I did. Right now, I couldn't give you a single reasonable excuse." She took another sip of her water. "But then again, everything's simpler in hindsight, right?" She hesitated and then looked at her again. "Of course, on the other hand, you never know how things will play out, until you let them play out." She grinned. "But I've never been the kind of person to just_ let_ things happen." She raised an eyebrow at Andy. "I like to make my own decisions, and I'd made up my mind about how I wanted to live my life long before I met Cooper. And there wasn't room for him in it, at least not permanently."

"So why not just see him for a little while?" Andy asked. Sarah looked at her and Andy shrugged. "I mean, there is such a thing as casual dating."

Sarah gave her a slow grin. "Is that what you and Sam did? You took things easy when you first got together?"

Andy flushed and her eyes skipped away. "Things with me and Sam were different," she said.

Sarah shrugged. "They always are. You don't know either of us that well yet, but the one of the main things Cooper and I have in common, is that neither of us does anything halfway. And after that first night, I knew," she said, face softening a little, "that if I let him in, even a little bit, he would be in here forever." Her fingers pressed lightly over her heart and then her hand fell away. She blew out a long breath and then looked away, a little embarrassed. "I'm talking too much." She let the glasses fall down again and she sat up in the chair, rolling her shoulders. "Did you want to do something else? We could take a drive, or walk around the yard a little."

Andy shook her head. "I'm on vacation. Put a beer in my hand and I'll stay here all afternoon."

Sarah laughed, a real laugh. It was a sound Andy hadn't heard much from her and she got up from the chair. "I can just help myself. Do you want one?"

Sarah shook her head. "Maybe an ice water. It's starting to get warm out."

Andy was digging around in the refrigerator when Cooper and Sam came through the door, heavily laden with shopping bags. She stepped out of the way and sat in one of the chairs at the window and watched. "Anything I can do?" she asked, hoping they'd say no.

Cooper looked over and tossed a grin at her. "I think we've got it. The trick is to carry in all the bags at once." He held up the eight or so plastic sacks he had wrapped around his wrists and Andy laughed.

"Don't encourage her," Sam said, giving her a look. "She thinks she's here to rest. She doesn't know Sarah's going to work her like a dog tomorrow." Andy crossed her legs and narrowed her eyes at him as she took a drink of her beer. Behind them, Sarah came in off the porch and moved around them. She sat down next to Andy and took the water she held out and watched the men put away the groceries.

"What have you two been doing?" Cooper asked, his eyes moving between the two of them

"Nothing," they both said.

He and Sam both froze. "Okay," he said. "I don't believe that at all, but…okay."

"Sarah's just been telling me the story of how you two met," Andy said innocently, trying not to picture him in his underwear after Sarah's last installment. And then her eyes shifted to Sam as he reached in and started tossing things up on the top shelf in a cupboard. Her eyes fell to his butt and then she was picturing them both in their underwear. A slow smile spread across her face and she hid it behind her beer bottle.

"Has she gotten to the part where she basically refused to talk to me for almost three weeks?" Cooper asked, a glint in his eye as he looked at Sarah. "Because that was extremely fun for me." She glared at him playfully.

"Actually, I was just getting to that part."

"Get ready, Andy," Cooper said, smiling at her. "This is where she gets mean."

Andy laughed at him. "I think we've already gotten there. Besides, I've seen Sarah mean before."

He smirked. "If you think that, you should see her with my mother."

Sarah glared at him and folded her arms over her chest.

Andy raised a quizzical brow. "You don't get along?"

"They can't stand each other," Sam said with a laugh. "For some reason, she loves me, but Sarah?" He chuckled to himself and shook his head.

Andy looked back at Sarah. She rolled her eyes and waved a hand, dismissing the topic. The guys finished and wadded up the plastic bags and walked towards the living room. Cooper stopped in front of Sarah and bent at the waist to press his lips against hers firmly. And then he straightened and followed Sam out. Andy heard them both groan as they fell onto Sarah's couch and turned on the television. She looked at her. She looked a little sad, a little remorseful as she stared at the doorway they'd just walked through. "He's right though. I really wasn't very nice to him," she said quietly. She turned back and blinked a few times, smiling. "But I told you; he never gave up." She stood and walked back toward the porch and Andy followed.

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>The next week at school, Sarah avoided the halls as much as possible. Like usual, she brought her lunch and ate at her desk. When she did have the need to go down to the office, or to converse with another staff member, she did it either during class, or right before the bell. On the few occasions she did have to move around the halls, she never technically ran into Cooper. She'd see him standing at the end of the hall next to the office, but when he looked up, she'd find an excuse to turn away, to talk to someone in the hall. Once she saw him on her way to the ladies room and he spoke her name as she walked by, but she pushed open the door and left him standing there; the door swinging shut behind her. When she'd come out, he was gone.<p>

Over the weekend, she'd managed to convince herself that leaving his apartment that night had been the right thing to do. She'd immersed herself in her work, spending hours painting in the second bedroom. But it didn't mean she wasn't feeling a little guilty, maybe even a little sad. And so when she walked from the bathroom to her classrooms on that Wednesday, she stepped into the storage/independent study room and took a minute to breathe in the smell of paint, and clay and pencils. She loved this room, she reminded herself. She was happy here. She took a few more breaths and then smiled, a little more relaxed.

When Sarah walked through the door to the adjoining room, her eyes scanned the students sitting quietly at the tables and then moved to the front of the room. Cooper was standing at the blackboard, eyes moving over the prints she'd pinned up above it. He was wearing the same brown sweater he'd been wearing the first time she'd ever seen him. Crabby with herself for noticing, she clenched her jaw, resolute. And shaking her head in irritation, she made her way up there. He turned as he heard her and she pushed past him to pull out her chair and sit at her desk. She started stacking sketches and other papers, sorting them into piles and then he sat down on the edge of her desk. She gripped a pile of papers that were now lodged under his hip and pulled them towards her forcefully. They came free with a little effort and she raised her eyes to his.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

He looked over his shoulder at her class and then down at her. "I've been trying to talk to you for three days," he whispered.

"Well, you must not have been trying very hard," she replied. "Why are you here?"

"I knew you wouldn't be able to run out on your class, so I came by on my free hour." Sarah finally broke eye contact and looked out at her students. Most of them had their headphones on as they drew and the others hadn't looked up.

"What did you want to talk about? The fundraiser? I already signed up for the two o'clock slot. I'll be there on Saturday, painting balloons on toddlers' faces for hours," she muttered as she started putting things into drawers, trying to look busy so he would just leave.

"You know that's not why I'm here," he said. The register of his voice was low, its warm tone running through her like liquid chocolate.

She licked her lips and dropped a handful of pencils into the ceramic cup on the edge of the desk. "Then what?"

He hesitated, narrowing his eyes at her. "I was hoping you'd go to dinner with me," he said very quietly.

She glanced at him. "Don't you think it's a little inappropriate to talk about that here?"

He folded his arms, a little frustrated. "So, let's go out into the hall." She shook her head silently, not looking at him. "C'mon, Sarah," he said gently. "Just say yes, and then I'll leave."

She snorted, and then froze as one of her students, right in the middle of the first row, raised her eyes. Sarah looked away from her and shook her head. "No." It was easier this way, to act like she didn't care, like she wasn't affected.

"Why not?"

"Because we're not doing that." She rolled her chair away from him about six inches.

He narrowed his eyes and put his hand on the arm of her chair. "Not doing what?"

She tried to roll the chair farther, but he held it in place. "The whole dating thing," she finally whispered.

"Why not?" His voice had gotten slow, like he was talking to a child and Sarah started feeling herself get annoyed.

She put her hands flat on the top of the desk, trying to find the words, and then after running her tongue over her teeth, stood up and walked out of the room without a word. She heard him get up, heard his footsteps on the floor as he followed her and once he exited the room, she reached behind him and closed the door.

They stood in the empty hallway and Sarah could hear noises from other rooms echoing down the hall and she tried to control the volume of her voice.

"Look," she hissed, pointing a finger at him. "What happened the other night, it doesn't have to mean anything. In fact, it doesn't. It doesn't mean a single thing. It was just something that happens; and there's no need for this. You don't have to romance me."

If she'd been trying to shock him, she was disappointed. He laughed quietly. "Trust me, I'm not."

"Then what?" She wrapped her arms around her middle and narrowed her eyes again.

He shrugged and looked at her curiously. "Maybe I just want to sleep with you again." He crossed his arms and leaned back against the bank of lockers.

She was a little startled, but not entirely sure he was telling the truth. Then she shook her head. "No."

"Why not?"

She took a deep breath. She wasn't used to people being pushy with her, asking her questions. That had always been her job. "Listen. It was fun, or whatever, but it wasn't exactly life-changing," she said, trying to dig at him a little. He laughed quietly at her but she ignored him and continued. "Don't make it into more than it was."

He unfolded himself from the wall and walked over. When he bent his head down to hers, she found herself shrinking back against the wall, surprised when she actually felt it against her back. And he moved closer, put a hand on the wall, over and to the left of her head, and then leaned in, and his lips found her ear. "You're lying," he whispered.

Of course she was lying. His hot breath against her ear and neck, the smell of him... Even him just standing this close to her was making every nerve-ending in her body hum. She stared at him, at those broad shoulders, at the arms hidden under that ridiculous sweater. The sleeves were pushed up and she could see the muscles in his forearms flexing as he lifted his hand and reached out, taking one of her ringlets in his hand, and wrapped it loosely around his first two fingers. He smoothed his thumb over the shiny hair and looked down at it. He wet his lips and for a long moment, she couldn't breathe.

He didn't move any closer. He didn't move at all. He was waiting for her, and finally she reached up and grabbed his wrist. At the contact, he dipped his head a little, his mouth close to hers and whispered her name, his voice a little hoarse. But she pulled his hand down, freeing her hair.

"Outside of this school," she said quietly. "I don't ever want to see you again." Her voice was chilly.

He froze. He looked at her, and this time, she looked back. There was a degree of hurt flashing over his blue eyes and she steeled herself, forcing her eyes to grow even colder. And then he stepped back. He crossed his arms over his chest and took another step. Her hand reached out for the door knob and it turned and then she was back inside the art room. Several of her students looked up as the door closed loudly behind her and she waved at them, smiling despite what was happening inside. Inside, her heart was pounding; she was hot. And she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time. Regret.

* * *

><p>After that, things started getting weird. Two days later, it was Friday and she didn't see him for most of the day. She was walking down the hallway late in the afternoon. She was dodging kids as they burst out of classrooms on their way to the parking lot and she saw him leaning up against the wall, arms folded over his chest. He caught sight of her and pushed off the wall and fell into step with her.<p>

"Listen, I know you don't know me very well, but I'm not a bad guy." Sarah ignored him. "Look," he said, "Can you just stop for a second?" She didn't. "Sarah, what are you so scared of?" That did it.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at him. "I'm not afraid of you."

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, you're afraid of something," he said, goading her.

She glanced around and then stepped closer. He tipped his head down as she spoke. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but most guys in your place wouldn't be asking questions. They'd just be grateful to be off the hook."

He lifted his head, frowning as he looked down at her through slitted eyes. "Yeah, well I don't think I'm like most guys. Maybe I actually _like_ you."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right," she muttered. She shook her head and looked around them again at the kids getting ready to leave for the day. They weren't paying any attention to them. She leaned in and narrowed her eyes, a tiny smile on her face. "Look, I'm not afraid to go out with you. I just don't _want_ to."

"Why not?"

"Why are you always asking me that?" she asked a little louder than she meant to.

This time he smirked back. "Because you keep saying 'don't' and 'no'."

She rolled her eyes. "Cooper, I know that you think you're irresistible." She looked up at him, ran her eyes over his body, then back up to his face, where a smile was beginning to form. "But you're not." His expression soured a little. "So get out of my way." He stepped aside and she walked past him.

* * *

><p>He kept at it. Saturday rolled around and Sarah was at the carnival. Set up in a large parking lot in front of the rec center, the school had really gone all out. There were some smaller rides, games, tons of food stands. She and Laura, one of the other art teachers had just gotten there. So far, there weren't many people running around, and Sarah leaned back in her chair, legs crossed as she surveyed the scene. It was unseasonably warm for late September, and she wore shorts, letting the sun beat down on her legs. A family came up and passed their four year old into a chair next to Laura and she got to work. Sarah heard a creaking in the chair next to her and turned and froze.<p>

"What the f-" She glanced over her shoulder at the family with Laura. "What are you doing here?"

Cooper grinned as he handed her five dollars. "What does it look like?"

She rolled her eyes. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Well, I'm not."

"Fine." She snatched his money away and put it in the cash box. "What do you want?" she asked grabbing her set of paints and a few brushes from the table.

"You know what I want," he said seriously.

She turned to look at him, at his wide blue eyes and she shook her head. "I meant on your face."

"Oh," he said and turned to look at the laminated sheets showing his options. He shook his head. "I don't care. Pick one. Whichever will keep me here the longest."

She exhaled through her nose, frustrated, and then grabbed her brush and her set of paints. "Move forward." He slid his chair closer to hers, wedging one of his knees between hers. She put her feet on the ground, splaying them slightly for traction and grabbed his face, not as gently as she could have and tilted it towards her and got started. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, and finally, her grip softened, and then she just held his face in her hand, working quietly. He moved, shifted, uncomfortable in the short chair and she held back a smile.

His hands crept onto her knees as he adjusted himself and she didn't even pause. "Remember Matt Carlson's finger." His eyes flicked to her, not believing her for a second, but he removed his hands. She worked quickly. While the brush licked blue lines over his cheekbones, down to the edge of his jaw, she kept her eyes off his. Every time they moved over her, she felt them searching for something. It would be easier if she could just concentrate. It also would have helped if he didn't smell so good. Some kind of woodsy cologne. It reminded Sarah of being outside; of trees, and freshly cut grass. She took a deep breath through her nose and bit into her lower lip.

"I think you like me," he said finally. That got her to slow a little. Her eyes flicked back and forth over his and then back to her work. Her brush was moving, spreading the wet paint over his cheeks.

"Quit talking," she warned. "It's going to come out crooked." She turned away and rinsed her brush out, dried it and then started with a new color. The brush moved on the skin around his eyes, and he fought the urge to blink as it tickled his skin. When she blew on it, drying it a little, he closed his eyes a moment. He opened them when he felt her move to the other side.

"It wouldn't be weird, if you did," he continued. "Old Mrs. Peterson, the lady that works the register in the lunch line? She tells me I'm a catch." She was leaning close again, blowing against his skin.

Sarah pulled her lips in tight, trying not to smile. "She's seventy-three. She thinks any guy under fifty is a catch." She was making longer lines, curling them around on his cheeks. She switched brushes and colors and started filling in the larger spaces with a lighter blue.

He considered that. "Maybe. But I think she really meant it." He smiled quickly.

"So you're an egomaniac," she said.

He ignored her. "She tells me I'm a catch and I should find a nice girl, and take her out."

She smirked. "Sounds to me like old Mrs. Peterson is after your ass. Better watch out. Tougher guys than you have fallen under her spell." She was back up by his eyes again, making short lines, small dots.

"Well, it _is_ a good ass. I know _you_ like it." He flashed a smile and it ruined one of her lines. Sarah cursed and grabbed a paper towel and smeared the line, correcting it.

"Your modesty is just so attractive," she muttered as she rubbed the residual paint off his face with her thumb. They were quiet for a while, and she sped up, getting more anxious the longer he sat there. They were very much in each other's spaces. She could feel his leg against her inner thigh; just feel _him_, sitting in front of her, like a pressure against her skin.

He looked at her eyes, even though she wasn't looking back and smiled. "I see you watching me. You think you're subtle, but you're not."

"You are so far from my type," she said quietly, finishing the last line.

"I was a lot closer to your type last week." Her hands fell away and he smiled at her, a quiet hopeful smile. "Let me take you out, Sarah."

She stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. "I'm not a nice girl." She started gathering her things, closing up the paints and he grabbed her hand. Her eyes met his. "We're all done here."

"You don't seem like the kind of person who trusts people very easily, but you can trust me," he said quietly. "I'm not going to give up. I don't think you really _want_ me to give up."

She clenched her jaw and turned away. "You don't know the first thing about what I want." She waited a few seconds and then glanced back when she realized he hadn't moved. "We're all done here," she repeated. He let go of her and nodded slowly and then got up and walked away, looking over his shoulder at her once. She glanced over at Laura who was watching her.

"What?" she asked, suddenly not even having the energy to be annoyed.

Laura shrugged. "I think that was your best butterfly today."

* * *

><p>Cooper kept his word. He didn't give up. Every day the next week, he found an excuse to talk to her. He borrowed some of the prints she'd hung on her walls for his class' chapter on Ancient Greece. And then of course, he had to return them the next day. He'd started approaching her in the halls, in the teacher's lounge, even stopping by her classroom at the end of every day. Each time, he was only around for a minute or two. At first, she was irritated. She'd snap at him, deliberately saying things to hurt or anger him, but she never got a rise out of him. He never snapped back. He'd just look at her with a small smirk on his face and then turn around and leave.<p>

But one day at the beginning of the third week, something changed. He'd snuck up behind her in line in the office as she waited to talk to the secretary. He bent his mouth near her ear and spoke. "Just so you know," he began, laughing as she jumped in surprise. "Just so you know, I'm an excellent listener. I hear that's important to women." She glanced over her shoulder at him and he smiled. "And I'm pretty good with my hands. But then, you already know that," he added, his voice low and husky. She pressed her lips together, willing them to remain unsmiling at the memory. "I'm not a very good cook, but I don't think I'll starve to death any time soon." Sarah forced herself to keep her eyes on the counter. "I learned how to read when I was three. Okay, that's a lie. I was four."

This time the smile peeked out, just for an instant. "What are you doing?" she whispered as they moved one person closer in line.

"I'm letting you get to know me." He was silent a moment. "When I first went to college, my mother wanted me to be a doctor, but I wanted to be a vet. And then I realized that I couldn't stomach the sight of blood and I had to drop out of the program." Sarah looked down at her feet, biting her lower lip as the smile came back. "My last relationship ended a year ago. And it ended badly." He paused. Sarah heard the hesitation in his voice. "I haven't even been out on one date since then. But I like you." His hands came up and covered her shoulders and her eyes moved around, checking to see if anyone was watching. Then the warmth disappeared as his hands moved down her arms and back to his sides. He gave her a little push in the small of her back towards the counter and she realized it was her turn.

When she'd finished her business, she stepped away, and he turned to look at her as he moved up and smiled. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Towards the end of the second week, Sarah realized she was wavering. The more she saw of Cooper, the more she <em>wanted<em> to see of Cooper. She was starting to look forward to the moments in the day when he'd pop his head in. It was upsetting her plans. She'd had all these ideas for herself, for her future. And nowhere in those plans, had she ever had room for a too-young, too-tall, almost-redhead, with absolutely no understanding of the acceptance of failure. For many years, Sarah had gone along alone. All she'd ever wanted was a quiet place where she could live and focus on her work. The men she'd dated previously had never intruded on that dream. Not a single one of them had ever come close to disrupting her focus as far as that was concerned. Instead of including them, she always just figured that when the time came, she'd just move on. But because Cooper was so insistent, because his pull was so strong, Sarah felt herself wavering.

Every time he looked at her, she felt it all the way to her toes. He barely knew her, but he would look at her, and for some reason, she felt like he _saw_ her, down to her very core. While it worried her, it also enlivened her; and that was the truly unnerving thing. He was getting to her. She was starting to forget why she kept saying 'no'.

She realized that as she was sitting in the independent study room that Thursday, waiting for the clock to tick down. Heather and Brady were sitting near each other, whispering quietly together. Sarah had been watching them since that first day; or rather, watching Brady watch Heather. And when he wasn't looking, Heather was watching Brady. Sarah had stayed apart from them, simply observing with the eyes of a chaperoning adult; but also with the eyes of another person potentially on the brink of something brand new.

She looked at the clock. He would probably be by sometime soon. He usually came by maybe ten minutes after the bell rang, and stayed just long enough to ask how her day had gone and to fruitlessly ask her again to go out with him.

She glanced again at her students, smiling a little as she saw Brady slide his chair over closer to Heather. Then she looked back down at what she was doing. Sarah was wrapping up some of her pottery in newspaper and placing it into a box. Without her own wheel, she'd been sneaking in on her lunch break, and during her free hour to spend some time at the wheel when students weren't using it. She still wasn't as practiced as she hoped to be, but the pieces were beginning to turn out nicely. And since they were starting to stack up, she thought maybe it was time to give some of them away. It was time to visit a friend.

* * *

><p>Sarah pulled her car into the driveway and grabbed the large box full of dishes out of the trunk. She hefted it up onto her hip and carried it up over the lawn to the house. As she walked, she took the time to breathe, to take a look at the yard. The bright orange and red leaves were starting to fall off the numerous trees scattered throughout. The one-car garage was looking a little dilapidated. It could use a coat of paint. Sarah pressed the doorbell and after a few long moments, the door swung open and an older woman with silver hair cut to her chin smiled. She wore a brightly colored tunic over jeans and had a newspaper in her hand, folded over to expose the crossword puzzle.<p>

"Sarah. What are you doing here?"

Sarah smiled. "Hey, Jane. I've got something for you."

She followed her into the house, through the entryway, past the narrow kitchen and into the dining room where they sat at the large table made of raw, unfinished wood. Jane started the coffee pot and brought out some cups, and by the time it was done, Sarah was pulling out the dishes, unwrapping each one carefully. Each one was a different color, a different style, a different size. She stacked them carefully on the table and looked over at the other woman.

Jane picked up a bowl and then put her glasses on the end of her nose and studied it. "It looks perfect."

Sarah sat back down and took a sip of coffee. "Not quite, but it's getting there. I wasn't sure what color you'd want, so I just made a rainbow.

Jane set the bowl back down, took off her glasses and nodded. "I like them. Now I don't have to make them match."

Sarah smirked. "I think I might try to sell some at the festivals this summer. Just to see how it goes."

"Well, I know a lot of people that would be interested in these. If you want, I can give them your name."

Sarah took a breath and considered it, rubbing a finger over a small flaw in the rim of a bowl. "Maybe you should give it a few months. Let me get a little better."

"Suit yourself." Jane looked at her curiously. "So, why are you _really_ here?" Sarah's eyes came up slowly and then slid away. "Sarah, I've known you for what? Eighteen years? I know when you've got something on your mind."

"I can't just stop by and see a friend? It's been a while."

Jane shifted in her chair and crossed her legs as she reached for her coffee cup. "It has. But it's not really like you to stop by for no reason." She gave her a look. "Other than to stare at my house, I mean."

Sarah rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Fine." She pursed her lips and tapped her nails against the table and then nodded. "I almost had an attack the other night," she admitted quietly. Okay, so that was only part of the reason she was there.

"How long has it been?" Jane asked casually, taking a sip of coffee.

Sarah had the number ready. "Eleven months."

"Before that?" Jane turned in her chair and recrossed her legs.

"A while; I'm not sure."

"And the dreams?"

Sarah shook her head. "Not for a couple of years."

She folded her hands in front of her. "Well, tell me about it. Where were you?"

"At Dave's." Sarah pulled her hair back, twisted it up and reached into her purse for a clip. "Um, two weeks ago. Almost three. We were sitting at a table…"

"Who's we?"

"Kit, and this guy, Cooper."

Jane's voice was gently probing. "I've never heard you mention him before," she said absently, her eyes moving to Sarah's just once, briefly.

Sarah waved her hand, dismissing it. "We just met that night."

"Okay. Go on."

"Anyway, there was this other guy. One of Cooper's friends. He was sitting a little too close, and then he got a little closer and I don't know." Sarah wrapped her hands around the cup, feeling the heat sear her skin before she let go. "I wasn't expecting it and it just felt a little…tight. Anyway, I got up and went into the bathroom to calm down, and it worked, but I'm worried."

"You think they're going to come back?"

"Not really," Sarah said. "Maybe. I don't know. Things are just really weird. It's the last thing I need right now."

Jane took an orange from the bowl in the center of the table and started peeling it. "What else is weird?"

Sarah looked over her shoulder, at the lake through the picture windows. "There's this guy."

"Same guy from the bar?"

"Cooper. Not the creepy one."

Jane eyed her carefully. "And Cooper is…?"

Sarah looked at her and then at the ceiling before taking a deep breath. "He's just…" She paused. "I just… I slept with him, okay?" she admitted, putting her face in her hands.

Jane's expression didn't change. "And?"

Sarah looked up. "And what?"

"How was it?" she asked. Sarah looked at her, incredulous. "What?" Jane asked, giving her an amused look. "I'm old, not dead." She raised her eyebrows, questioningly, then she split the orange in half and handed part of it over.

Sarah took the fruit and closed her eyes and shook her head. It was like talking to her mother about sex. "It was fine. Great even. Best sex ever," she grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Jane laughed. "So, what happened after?"

Sarah popped a wedge of fruit into her mouth and talked around it. "I went home. It was…" For a moment, she searched for the words, but she realized she didn't know _what_ it was. "It was no big deal." She said finally.

"Then why even bring it up?"

Sarah's eyes cut to her. "You asked."

"No, I asked who he was. You could have said he was a friend, or…?" She looked at her, inquiringly.

"A co-worker," Sarah mumbled.

"Or a co-worker. If it's no big deal, why even mention it?" Jane gathered up all the pieces of peel and pith and tossed them into the green bowl Sarah had shown her.

Sarah shook her head, starting to get a little annoyed. "I'm sure I don't know."

"I'm sure you do."

"Aren't shrinks supposed to be compassionate?" Sarah snapped, instantly sorry at the sound of her own voice.

"You haven't been my patient for a long time. I can treat you anyway I want," Jane said just as firmly. She gave Sarah a quick smile, and then her face got serious. "This guy, Cooper. Tell me about him."

Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I don't really know him that well."

"So, just tell me what you know." And so Sarah did. She went over everything she'd learned about him the two nights at the bar, the things he'd told her the numerous times they'd talked over the last two weeks. Jane looked at her straight in the eye. "Does he know about your past?"

"Why would he?" Sarah asked, looking at her in disbelief.

"You trusted him enough to sleep with him."

"Yeah, well that didn't really have anything to do with trust." She shook her head and bit into another slice. "What are you?" she asked, muttering under her breath. "The casual sex police?"

Jane ignored her. "How many of your boyfriends have you told?"

Sarah sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her middle. "He's not my boyfriend." Jane raised her eyebrows. Sarah rolled her eyes again. "Three." She didn't need to think about it.

"Out of?" When she didn't get an answer, Jane looked at Sarah.

Sarah looked at her in disbelief and then barked out a laugh. "I'm not answering that."

"Oh, the number can't be too high. You didn't start dating until your twenties."

Sarah pressed her lips together in embarrassed frustration. "Any boyfriends? Or serious boyfriends?"

"Have you ever _had_ a serious one?" Jane asked, a small smile on her face.

Sarah glared at her. "I've had a few."

"Count them all, serious or not."

"I don't know. One or two a year for….what, fourteen years?"

"Let's just round it down to fourteen," Jane said diplomatically. "Out of fourteen, why tell only three?"

"Because it's none of their business; it has nothing to do with them," Sarah said firmly. "I'm over it. I graduated from high school; and college. I date, or I used to anyway," she amended, considering how long it had been since she'd had a date. "I've got a good job, a place to live. I pay my bills. I'm a functioning member of society. I have been for years."

"If you were totally over it, you wouldn't be getting the panic attacks," Jane reasoned, looking her straight in the eye.

Sarah raised her eyebrows and folded her arms across her middle. "I don't think that's true."

"Well, I'm not getting paid, so I guess it doesn't matter." She poured herself another cup of coffee and held it up to Sarah. Sarah nodded and slid her cup over. "So, why tell three and not the others? Were those three the first three?" Sarah nodded again, soundlessly. "Did they say something or do something?"

Sarah took a deep breath and released it, putting her elbows up on the table. She set her face in her palm and looked over at Jane. "After I told them, I wasn't the same person to them." She traced a whorl in the wood with her middle finger. "They just saw me as this weak, scared child. Like I was breakable." She picked at a rough spot with her nail. "They were _careful_ with me."

"They saw you as a victim," Jane said quietly.

Sarah nodded and leaned down, resting her chin on top of her folded arms. "I just wanted them to treat me like they always had. But every time they looked at me, it was like I could see them trying to find the quickest way out. Back then..." She shook her head slowly. "Back then, I was a basket case. And no one wants to be the asshole who dumps the rape victim," she said matter-of-factly.

"Well, you were younger then. The men you were seeing were younger. And you can't always predict the way a person will act. Maybe the next one will surprise you." Sarah nodded, noncomittally, not really sure if she believed that. "Sarah." She raised her eyes to Jane's. Her voice was quiet, but full of understanding. "What you experienced, it's still a part of you, whether you want to admit it or not, even twenty-some years later. Even if you feel fine most days, you may still get the attacks. The dreams might come back. There really is no guarantee."

Sarah sat up. "What about Cooper?"

"What about him?" Jane asked. "I thought it was no big deal?" She gave her a slow smile and Sarah met her eyes and then looked away as her own smile started curling the corners of her lips. Jane reached over and patted her hand. "Sometimes I worry about you, you know."

Sarah nodded. "I know. But I'm okay."

"Yes, you are. But I'd like to see you married. Or at least in a comfortable relationship."

"Why should I get married? _You're_ not married."

"Yes, but I've _been_ married. Twice. It didn't take."

"Not everyone's meant to find someone."

"But most people try," she said raising an eyebrow at Sarah.

Sarah shrugged. "I like things the way they are. It's working."

"I think you just tell yourself that. I think you're lonely." She refilled Sarah's coffee cup a third time. "You hide yourself away. It's your right, but you've been doing it so long, it's almost impressive."

Sarah narrowed her eyes at her. "When you say "impressive," why does it sound a lot like "you're stupid?"

Jane shrugged. "It's a gift." She gave her a smug smile.

Sarah smiled at her and took a quick sip. "Believe me. I'll be fine."

Jane sat back down. "I'm not sure I do, but I'll change the subject. How's that handsome brother of yours?"

"His ego's huge. He probably heard that all the way up in Toronto." Sarah smirked and took a huge gulp from her cup. "When are you retiring and moving out of this dump?" she asked, the same way she did every time she visited her at the lake.

Jane smiled. "Not for a few years. You've waited this long. You can wait a little longer."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Sarah sat up suddenly in her chair, and then swung her legs over and stood up. She walked up to the railing and leaned over. Andy got up and joined her. Sam and Cooper were carrying the canoe over their heads down to the dock.<p>

"Are you going out?" Sarah shouted down the lawn. They paused and rotated in a semi-circle.

They swung it down to the ground and Cooper shook his head. He looked over at Sam and grinned. "I already took a shower today. And I like these clothes." Sarah laughed and Sam reached over and shoved his brother-in-law.

"Is he really that bad on the water?" Andy asked, her eyebrows drawing together.

Sarah grinned. "No, just unlucky. The first year we were here, he fell off the end of the dock while we were putting it out. And then, last summer, he and I went out in the rowboat to grab some stuff that had been blown out during a storm and he reached too far and tipped himself right out. Now it's kind of a running joke. And it just never stops being funny. Seriously," she said, pointing at her. "Fifty bucks to get him in that lake."

* * *

><p><strong>Ahhh... this was supposed to be longer, but I thought I'd take pity on those whose eyes get tired easily ;) <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Those of you who know me and my writing probably anticipated this but...this was supposed to be the last chapter, but it got too long ;) Expect at least one more full length. **

**Also, I know this is rated M, but I'm finding myself holding back a little. I couldn't tell you why, but it's just what feels right, so sorry for those of you looking for smut. **

**And, before I get complaints about this, I am not a mechanic. I can do the basics, and once I replaced a muffler, but other than that, I got nothin'. **

**This chapter is dedicated to all twelve of you who've read the first two. Thanks a bunch for the kind words and encouragement. They're both appreciated and necessary at times.**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

* * *

><p>They watched Cooper and Sam as they turned the canoe upside down on the lawn near the beach. Andy's bottle was sweating and she wiped her hand on the leg of her shorts. Sarah's eyes were on the men as they strode up the path together. She looked over at Andy. "You wouldn't know it, but the first time they met, it didn't go that well."<p>

Andy grinned. "I think that's a common theme with Sam. The first time I met him, it was a disaster."

"Yeah, I remember," she said with a laugh. "I think he bitched for an hour on the phone the next day." Andy rolled her eyes and tapped her empty bottle against the railing. Sarah took it from her. "I think he's over it, if that's any consolation." She stepped into the porch and dropped the bottle into the wastebasket and then came out again.

"So, did they not get along?" Andy prompted.

Sarah pursed her lips and gave her a small frown as she thought about it. "No, it wasn't that exactly. Sometimes, at least when it comes to me, he doesn't know when to back off. Or at least he didn't. He's better now." She leaned back against the railing as her eyes passed over her brother. He and Cooper were down on the patio, taking the cover off the grill. "He taught me how to shoot. Did he ever tell you that?"

Andy shook her head and smiled a little at the idea. "No, he didn't."

She nodded. "He did a good job. I don't do it very often anymore, but I'm not bad." She waved over the railing as they looked up briefly. "He's always looked out for me. Even when I didn't want him to." She turned around, and leaned back, tipping her face up to the sun.

"Which is where Cooper comes in," Andy supplied.

Sarah smiled to herself, chuckling quietly at the memory. "Which is where Cooper comes in."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Sam was visiting that weekend. It was his practice to come and stay the weekend before he went undercover. Neither of them ever knew when he'd be able to come back, and it gave him a chance to check in on her. For Sarah, the only good thing about him being undercover was that he wouldn't be able to continue his phone calls. He called every other night, whether she wanted him to or not. It was something he'd been doing for years. Sometimes it was a simple, "hello," and other times, they got caught up, and ended up talking for an hour about whatever was happening in their lives at the time. Most of the time, they bickered, but he always called, and she always answered, or returned the call. While she appreciated the effort, it was suffocating, and she wished he'd find something else to occupy his mind. But when he came to visit her, she was always glad to see him.<p>

He showed up at the school on Friday, winding his way through the halls to her classroom. It was nearing five o'clock and he knew she was almost done. The halls were clear, students long gone. He tapped on her door and walked in without an invitation and she spun around in her chair with a smile. For a second, the smile wavered, but then it was back.

Wearing his usual uniform of jeans, a T-shirt and his leather jacket, Sam walked towards her. His hair was a little long and in need of a trim; and he desperately needed a shave. "Were you expecting someone else?" he asked, seeing her expression; a little confused.

She shook her head. For the first time in almost two weeks, Cooper hadn't stopped by after classes let out. She kept telling herself that she wasn't waiting for him, but every time she heard footsteps in the hall, she turned towards the door, only to find herself feeling disappointed to see someone else walking by. "Nope," she lied easily. "You're early."

"I took the afternoon off. Are you ready to go? I'm starving." She nodded and started stacking her things, putting some assignments in her bag to look over during the weekend.

"What are you hungry for?" she asked tossing the bag over her shoulder.

He flashed a grin at her. "At this point, pretty much anything." She walked up and together they left the room, shutting off the lights. As they walked around the corner to the parking lot, Sam slung his arm around her neck and Sarah glanced down the hallway to her left, and saw Cooper walking purposefully toward her room. Their eyes met for an instant and his gait slowed; she saw puzzlement cross his face. Then Sam pulled her towards the door and she turned with him.

* * *

><p>Sarah's plan had been to grab something quick and then meet Kit for a drink before they went home for the night. They went to a small Mexican restaurant near Dave's and just walked over when they were finished. Kit and Sam had known each other for years, almost as long as Sarah had known her and so after Sam slid into the booth next to her, they took some time to catch up.<p>

Kit was always interested in the women he'd been dating, though he always swore he wasn't seeing anyone. Since he'd started working undercover, the duration of his relationships steadily declined. As far as serious relationships went, the Swarek siblings were about neck and neck. Sam hardly ever seemed to grow very attached these days; and if he did he almost never introduced them to Sarah. Which she knew was her own fault. As concerned as he was about her, Sarah was equally protective of him. And recently, Sam's tastes in women seemed to run to those who wouldn't care in the slightest if he had to disappear for months at a time. She didn't see any point in him wasting time with women like that. It would do him good to settle down; to find someone who might keep him from rubbing elbows with drug dealers and murderers.

After a half hour or so of bullshitting, Sarah collected their empty glasses and returned to the bar for refills. She'd been waiting for a few minutes when she felt a familiar warm hand on her shoulder. This time, she turned carefully, knowing exactly who was behind her.

"You've really got to stop doing that," she said, looking at Cooper in slight annoyance.

He narrowed his eyes at her. She'd never seen this expression on his face. Like he was actually a little angry at her. "I thought you said you weren't dating," he said, wasting no time.

She rolled her eyes and handed her money to Dave. "Actually," she said with a grin. "I'm pretty sure I said I wasn't dating _you._" She collected the full glasses, holding them together between her fingers and turned again, waiting for him to move out of her way. But he didn't step away. "What?" she asked loudly, feeling her patience rapidly stretching past its limits.

He folded his arms and looked at her, eyebrows raised.

She put her hands on her hips and stared at him, a startled look taking over her face. "You're really upset," she said in slight disbelief. He tore his eyes from her, focused them over his shoulder and shook his head a little. The anger on his face was slowly morphing into something else, something that twisted her guts a little. She leaned in, and her volume dropped a little. "Look, not that it matters, and not that it's _any_ of your business," she said. "But I am not _dating_ him. He's my brother." His eyes snapped back to hers, and he remained motionless, but she thought maybe he relaxed a little; the tension in his body seemed to fade slightly. Once again, she tried to walk past him and he put a hand on her arm. She shook her head as she looked up at him. "I really need to get back." After a moment, he stepped aside.

She moved away, not even touching him with her shoulder as she walked past. Then she set the glasses on the table and slid in across from Sam and Kit.

"Who's that you were talking to?" Sam asked, nodding in Cooper's direction. He watched him carefully, noting the way his eyes had followed his sister all the way back to the table.

"No one," Sarah said quietly as she downed half her drink in one shot.

Kit's face brightened as she looked. "That's Cooper. He's Sarah's special friend."

Sarah shot her an angry look and kicked her under the table. "He _is not_." Kit winced a little, bending down to rub her leg. But she waved Cooper over. "I hate you so much right now," Sarah grumbled.

He walked up and stood at the end of the table and started talking to Kit, never looking at Sarah. When Kit introduced Sam, he stuck out his hand and Cooper shook it.

Sam gestured to the booth, at the spot next to Sarah. "Have a seat."

Cooper looked over, at Sarah sitting in the middle of the seat. He shook his head. "I think I'll grab a chair. Hold on." He weaved between the full tables. Sam watched how Sarah's eyes raised from the drink in front of her to rest on Cooper. It wasn't the quick once over she usually gave people. It was a constant, lengthy gaze, following his movements. Then her eyes moved to his and gave her a knowing look as he flashed his dimples at her.

"Shut up," she snapped.

He held his hands up, palms out. "I didn't say anything." Cooper came back and put the chair backwards next to the table and straddled it, setting his beer bottle in front of him. "So, Cooper," Sam said, turning to him with a slight smile, his eyes glinting a little. "I don't think Sarah's ever mentioned you."

Cooper shrugged and took a drink of his beer. "I'm not really surprised," he said with a smile. "We haven't known each other very long." Sarah saw his eyes land on her hands and she pulled them off the table and into her lap. Something was going on inside her. Those weren't butterflies in her stomach; they were bats. She wiped her hands on her pant legs.

Sam frowned. He wasn't used to Sarah being so…quiet. Time to get down to business.

He turned in his seat, holding the tumbler loosely in his hand as he brought it to his mouth. "I'm just curious," he said casually. "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" he asked with a smile before he took a drink, ignoring the look that appeared on Sarah's face.

Cooper raised an eyebrow at his directness. "Not that I'm aware of," he said with a comfortable laugh. Next to Sam, Kit was looking bored, scanning the people over Cooper's shoulder.

"So, you don't have a record?"

"I've gotten a few tickets; but nothing major." He looked to his right, at Sarah, and then back at Sam. Sarah was staring at her brother, shaking her head slowly in anger and embarrassment. Her eyes were fixed on him, and he looked back at her and for a second, there was silence as she raised her eyebrows. It seemed like a warning, but Sam looked away.

"What were the tickets for?" he asked, once again ignoring her. "Speeding, parking, reckless driving?" Cooper wasn't looking at him. His eyes were still on Sarah.

She blew out a breath and crossed her arms over her chest. Finally, she raised her gaze to his. "Did I mention that my brother is a cop?"

"When would you have mentioned that?" he asked, shaking his head. He looked back at Sam. "Why even bother asking if you can just call it in and check up on me?"

Sam leaned forward and set his glass down his empty glass on the table and turned it slowly. His eyes were steady and unblinking as they looked back at Cooper and he spoke quietly, menacingly. "Because this way, when I _do_ call it in, I'll know if you're a liar."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sarah snapped, looking at Sam. He gave her an unpleasant smile and finished his drink. She reached out and snatched it away from his mouth, and then grabbed hers and Kit's even though it wasn't empty. She clutched the three against her chest and then she put her hand inside the collar of Cooper's shirt and tugged at it. "Come with me."

He followed her up to the bar, and she walked around to the back, putting some people in between them and their table. She set the glasses on the counter and made eye contact with the bartender. Finally, she turned back to Cooper. "You know you don't have to answer his questions, right?"

He smiled down at her. "You're kind of sweet when you're defending my honor."

"I wasn't. And I'm not _sweet_." She glared at him.

Cooper's grin only got wider. "It's okay. He's just being protective."

"No, he's just being an ass," Sarah said. She was still smarting a little from the humiliation.

"Why are you so worked up?" he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She put her hands on her hips and looked at the floor, shaking her head. "I'm embarrassed, okay?"

"Why?"

She ran a hand through her hair, clenching her fingers briefly at the crown of her head. "Because he's being rude to you."

"So what? I'm nobody to you, right?" Her eyes came up and locked onto his and then they moved away. "Right?" he asked again. She pressed her lips together, looking anywhere but at Cooper.

"Look, Sarah." She glanced at him quickly. "I don't mind. I don't have anything to hide."

Sarah looked down at her feet; using the toe of her shoe to scrape at a dirty print on the tile. "He's only going to get worse," she said quietly when she finally looked up again.

He shrugged. "If knowing every personal detail of my life makes him more comfortable with us, that's fine with me. If he approves of me, maybe you'll finally admit you like me," he said with a teasing smile.

She took a breath and looked at him dead on. "There is no _us_," she hissed, tapping his chest with her finger once. "And I do not _like_ you!"

He gave a short laugh. "When are you going to stop lying?" He reached down and put his hands around her face and tilted it up, leaning down quickly to cover her mouth with his before she could protest. It wasn't a gentle kiss, but she didn't pull away. He lifted his head slightly and paused, eyes moving over hers rapidly, questioning. Sarah stared back at him and took a breath but he felt no resistance in her, and so he bent to her again. Their tongues met and she made a small soft sound of pleasure. It was almost drowned out by the noise in the bar, but he heard it, and he pulled her into him. Her fingers clutched at his arms and then Sarah was kissing him back, her mouth playing against his. Her hands moved up from his arms to his shoulders, clinging to him. She didn't know how much time passed, but she heard someone clearing their throat, and then felt a tap on her shoulder. She pulled away, wetting her lower lip as she stared at Cooper. His eyes were on her mouth, and his breathing was moving his chest a little more rapidly. He smiled at her and she felt herself smiling back, felt herself leaning up one more time and then she froze as she heard someone say her name.

"Sarah?"

She tore her eyes away and spun around. Dave was pushing their drinks closer to the edge of the counter and she shoved a trembling hand into her pocket, digging for her cash, but Cooper slid a bill over to him. She blew out a shaky breath and then grabbed two of the glasses and started walking back to the table. He followed her with the other two and slid into the booth while she was setting hers on the table. She sat down next to him, noticing that without making a big deal about it, he'd moved to the inside, giving her space.

Sarah looked around the table. Sam had both his arms up on the table and was again slowly turning his drink between his fingers, keeping his eyes on Cooper and his sister. She glared at him, feeling the annoyance return rapidly. Kit was grinning at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Your lipstick is a little smeared." Sarah's hand automatically went to her face, and then moved down again. She wasn't wearing lipstick.

"I really do hate you sometimes," she muttered. Kit shrugged and took a sip of her drink and then tipped her head towards Sam who was questioning Cooper again.

"So, Cooper, how old are you?"

"I turned thirty in May," he said stretching his arm across the back of the booth behind Sarah's head. She didn't move.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You know Sarah's a couple years older than you? At least."

Cooper looked over. Beside him, Sarah was bristling. Her face had gone cold and still and her eyes were hard. He turned his hand, letting it brush the back of her head and she glanced at him, eyes wide with a rage he'd never seen on her face. The gaze held a moment. "Well, she doesn't look it," Cooper replied with a small smile, as he turned back.

"That was smooth," Kit murmured as she lifted her glass to her lips. Sam looked at her for a long moment and then back to Cooper.

"Have you ever been married?" He sat back and opened his mouth to answer but Sarah had had enough. She stood up and grabbed Sam by the lapel of his jacket. She wrenched him out of the booth and through the glass doors to the parking lot.

Cooper leaned forward to get a better look at them. Sarah was waving her arm at him, and he was laughing at her, yelling back. In addition to hair color, and an affinity for leather jackets, they apparently also shared a temper.

"Don't worry," Kit said. "If you stick around, you'll have plenty of opportunities to see this." He looked at her, frowning. She waved her hand as she pulled the olives off the skewer with her teeth. "They do this every time they get together," she said as an explanation.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong with you?" Sam asked, laughing as Sarah pulled him outside.<p>

"What's wrong with _you_?" she asked loudly. "I'm not even seeing that guy. You don't need to give him the third degree."

"And you didn't need to chase Dani out of my house the last time you were there."

"Who?" she screeched as she put her hands on her hips.

"The blonde."

Sarah laughed shortly. "Oh, her," she sneered dismissively. "I didn't chase her out. She walked out all by herself. Amazingly enough. She was a flake. She spent the entire night texting; she didn't know how to hold a simple conversation."

"So?" Sam's eyes were wide; as was his smile. It was the smile he reserved for times when he was seriously annoyed.

She raised her eyebrows at him, ignoring the warning. "You want a girlfriend who doesn't want to talk to you? Get a hooker. It'd be cheaper than that restaurant she wanted to go to."

Sam ignored her. "Sarah, the guy said it himself. You don't even know him. He could be hiding bodies in his basement for all you know."

"He doesn't even have a basement," she said automatically and then froze. Sam didn't miss the slip.

He swung his hands out. "I'm just trying to look out for you," he said quietly, intently. "You live alone, you've got no friends."

"I have friends."

"Who? Kit? That's one."

Sarah stared at him in frustration. "I have Jane."

"Jane doesn't count."

"Fine. Cooper," she said snottily as she crossed her arms and glared. "Cooper's my friend. Kind of."

"Come on, Sarah." He shook his head and put his hands on his hips.

"You know what?" she asked, her green eyes snapping at him. "I'm not some fragile little bird you need to protect. So, just knock it off. You said it yourself. I'm your _older_ sister. And I've been taking care of myself for a long time. So just _back off_." The last sentence was said harshly, with venom, but she didn't show any sign of apology.

He stared at her, a little stunned, but finally, he nodded. "Fine. I'll leave him alone. Just _this_ one though," he said pointing at her. "The next one is fair game." She didn't laugh. He narrowed his eyes, his brows knitting together as he stared at her and realization creeped up on him. "You really _like_ this guy, don't you?" She shook her head and smiled, the same angry smile he liked to flash at her when she rendered him speechless.

"Mind your own business," she finally said. He stood there, a look of shocked amusement beginning to show on his face. He made a half-hearted attempt to hold it in, but he started laughing. "Quit it."

"I'm not doing anything," he said after the laughter slowed.

"Fine. Quit being an asshole then." She threw open the door and walked back inside, leaving him to follow her.

* * *

><p>When she got back to the table, Cooper was standing up. Sam veered off to the bathroom and Cooper pulled Sarah with him back towards the exit. "I think I'm going to take off. I'll let you guys figure this out and we can talk on Monday."<p>

She shook her head. "You can stay. He'll leave you alone."

He smiled and looked down for a second. "Really, you're adorable when you're worried about me."

"I'm not adorable. You can ask anyone. And I'm not worried," she said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam come out of the bathroom. He glanced at them and turned toward the table, giving them a short wave. Cooper raised his eyebrows and nodded to him once and then turned back to Sarah.

"Can I borrow your phone?"

Her hand went to her pocket automatically. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"For the usual reason?" he said laughing. She handed it to him and he flipped it open and started dialing. Then as she heard a ringing, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit a button to silence it. "Okay." He handed hers back. "Now I have your number; I'm going to call you. So get ready." He looked like he wanted to kiss her, but his eyes moved over her shoulder. "Your brother's still watching us."

Sarah tossed a glare over her shoulder, and then turned back to Cooper. "He's leaving on Sunday."

He smiled. "Then I'll call you on Sunday."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Cooper popped his head out the porch door. "Hey, we're thinking steaks for dinner. Any problem with that?"<p>

Andy turned around and shook her head. "That sounds good to me."

"Sarah?" She turned to look at him and he raised his eyebrows.

She shrugged. "What else?"

"Ah..." He grinned at her sheepishly. "I hadn't really gotten much past 'steaks'. What else do you want?"

She smiled. "Let me see what we have and I'll figure something out." She got up and Andy followed her into the house.

They stood in the kitchen as Sarah started digging through the cabinets, pulling out potatoes, onions peppers, tinfoil. She grabbed a few other things and then started putting together packets of vegetables.

"So, where are you in the story?" Cooper asked Andy. Her eyes flew to his and she thought back.

"Um, we just finished with the night you met Sam." Cooper's smile widened and then he glanced at Sarah.

"The next part is key. Our first date."

"That was not a date," Sarah said as she started scrubbing potatoes in the sink.

Cooper tipped his head back and considered it. "Well, I paid for food. We ate food. One of us got a little naked." She rolled her eyes. "I think that sounds like a date."

Sarah looked seriously at Andy. "It wasn't a date. It was just…" She tried to come up with a word.

"It was the day I finally broke her," Cooper said with a wink. Sarah just shook her head as she turned back to the sink, but Andy saw the smile on her face. He looked over at Sarah. "Do you want to tell it, or should I?"

She waved a hand over her shoulder. "I'm tired of talking. I'll just listen and tell you when you've got it wrong." Andy sat down in one of the chairs and looked at Cooper as he stood tall, leaning against the kitchen counter, feet crossed at the ankles, hands propped up behind him. Sarah carried wet potatoes and vegetables over to the counter next to Cooper and took out a large cutting board and a knife and started chopping. Sam walked into the room then and stood next to Andy, bringing his hand up to stroke over her head once.

"What's going on?" She looked up.

"Shh. Sit down." Sam jerked his head and she stood up and he sat down, pulling her down onto his knee. His arm wrapped around her waist and as his fingers pressed against her stomach, she put her arm around his shoulder and leaned against him. Then she looked back at Cooper.

He crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at Sarah with a slow grin. "So, that Sunday, I'm sitting around, minding my own business, and I get this frantic phone call."

"Wait a second," Sam said leaning his head back against the wall. "Are you seriously _still_ telling this story?"

"You," Sarah said, pointing at him with the large knife she was using. "Shut up. And you," she said turning to Cooper. "I was not _frantic_." He laughed as she grinned at him.

"Fine." He made a circular motion with his finger. "Go back to murdering those vegetables." She rolled her eyes and spun back around. "Anyway, I get this call from Sarah and she's at her apartment. She's been there all day, hasn't gone anywhere. She basically was just pining away."

"Don't listen to him, Andy," she said over her shoulder.

Cooper winked at her and nodded. "Pining." Sarah set the knife on the counter and turned away, wiping her hands on a towel.

"If you're just going to tell her lies, then maybe you should make these, and I'll tell the story."

"Oh, I think I'm doing fine," he said.

"You're not." She hooked a thumb over her shoulder and he laughed and turned around and started packaging up the food.

Sarah shook her head in mock irritation and took up Cooper's position, leaning against the counter. "Okay. Not pining. I was bored. And hungry."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Sam left early in the afternoon. He told her that when he was back in uniform he'd give her a call and he'd come see her again. But Sarah wasn't thinking about that phone call. She was thinking about another one. She kept herself busy, organizing her supplies, cleaning up messes from previous days. She knew she was very quickly outgrowing this apartment. Canvases were starting to stack up. And if she started to take this pottery thing seriously, things were going to get very tight, very quickly. The only thing she could do now was keep things neat. Maybe she could shuttle some of the bigger stuff over to the school and stick it in a corner of the supply room. They had a bit of room there. It wouldn't have to be forever.<p>

After she'd put all the supplies away, she moved on to the rest of the apartment. The other rooms weren't nearly as bad. The bedroom and bathroom just required a little laundry pickup and the living room had a few dishes in it that needed to be moved to the kitchen. After starting a run in the dishwasher, she picked up her cell phone and dialed in an order to the Thai place she liked. She gave them a half hour and then went out to her car.

Sarah got in and turned the key and got nothing. She paused and then turned the key again and then swore under her breath. She tried it a third time, and this time, when it refused to start she hit the steering wheel with her fist and cursed out loud. She popped the hood and got out of the car and propped it open. Staring down at the mess inside, she finally admitted to herself that she had no clue what she was looking at. She blew out an exasperated breath and then tugged her cell out of her pocket. Kit's number went straight to voicemail. She considered calling Sam, but there wasn't much he could do for her in Toronto. She hesitated a moment and then went into her contact list and made one more call.

He answered on the first ring. "Hey," she said, a little uncomfortable. "It's Sarah. I need a small favor."

Cooper showed up fifteen minutes later. He parked right next to her and pulled a bag out and handed it to her. "I just stopped and picked up your order. Hope that's okay."

She raised her eyebrows as she took it from him. "Yeah, that's um... That's great." He went around to the front of her car and looked at the engine. "I just needed a ride. Or maybe a jump." His eyes raised to hers, one brow quirked. "For my battery," she said with a mock glare.

He flashed a smile. "Can you give it a try, so I can hear what it sounds like?" Sarah got into the car and turned the key again. "Okay, this time turn on the lights." She flipped the switch for the lights and saw them come to life against Coopers legs. "Now try to turn it over again." She did, and she saw the lights flicker and dim just a tiny amount. "Okay, you can get out."

"Do you know what you're doing?"

He looked amused. "I'm good with stuff like this. Don't worry."

He went around to his trunk and pulled out a large toolbox and carried it back to her car. Sarah perched on the curb and pulled out a carton of Pad Thai and dug in, watching him work. "Have you been having problems with it?" he asked over his shoulder as he braced an arm on the quarter panel and leaned over. She craned her neck. He'd removed the covers from the battery and was using a wire brush to scrape the terminals clean.

"Define problems," she said with a laugh. "It's old. It's got some personality."

"That's not a big help."

"It doesn't like to start in the winter. Every time I take it in for an oil change, they tell me I need something else fixed."

"Yeah, they're always going to tell you that. Try it again." Sarah balanced her food in one hand and stuck an arm inside and turned the key. No luck. She walked around and stood next to him. He stuck his hands inside and started following cables. "Could be the solenoid. But it's probably the battery."

"But the lights came on."

"The lights don't draw a lot of electricity. The battery powers the solenoid, which makes the starter work. And if not enough power is getting to the solenoid, the car doesn't start. How old is the battery?"

Sarah shrugged. "A year or two?"

"If it _is_ the battery, it's probably a loose connection or a bad cable. Give me a few minutes." Sarah leaned against the quarter panel and ate, looking over her shoulder every now and again. Cooper's face was serious, his eyes moving over the grease-smeared metal and the mess of tubes and cabling. His hands moved quickly, his fingers deft as they touched around the engine, using the handle of a screwdriver to tap at the connections between the battery and the starter. "Okay. One more time." Sarah walked around and one more time, turned the key and the engine turned over.

She looked over at Cooper and her face lit up in surprise. His was still turned down, eyes still on the engine. After a moment, he reached up and pulled out the hood prop and lowered the hood, dropping it the last few inches to make sure it was secure. Sarah leaned back in and turned off the car. When she got out, she shut the door and watched as he wiped his hands on the rag and then tossed it into the box. He carried it past her, returned it to the trunk and then walked back up and took the food out of her hand.

He took the plastic fork from Sarah, stabbed a shrimp and wound up a knot of noodles and popped it into his mouth, grinning at her as he chewed. He took one more bite and then handed it back. He laughed a little at the annoyed expression on her face. "You're probably going to want to replace the cables sometime soon. But that should hold for a little while."

She didn't say anything; she actually looked a little humbled, once the irritation faded. Looking down into the carton, she picked at the food with the fork. She opened her mouth and then raised her eyes to his, but no sound came out.

"If you're trying to find a way to thank me, I have a few suggestions," he said as he stepped up closer to her. "They range from _finally_ admitting you like me..." Cooper gave her a pointed look and then pretended to be in deep thought for a second, a smile creeping over his mouth, "to Naked Sundays." He reached back and pulled his T-shirt and sweatshirt over his head in a bundle and wadded them into a ball. And then he grinned, spreading his arms wide. "No pressure; you decide. I'm open to them all." Sarah fought hard to keep the smile off her face, tried to keep her eyes off his trim body, but knew she was losing the battle.

She closed the distance between them; stood right in front of him and put her hand on his chest. His skin was hot under her fingers, despite the chill in the air. She resisted the urge to stroke over that skin.

"I am not interested," Sarah said seriously, giving him a light push, the smile slowly taking over her face.

He nodded, narrowing his eyes. "Oh yeah," he said with a grin. "Totally believable. Tell me another one." His hand came up and slid over hers and she pulled away.

Sarah laughed and took a step back holding up her hand, a helpless gesture. "Look, I'm just not attracted to you."

He laughed back and looked at her with a disappointed expression on his face. "Okay, now, you're not even trying." She turned around and grinned to herself as she folded up the carton of food and tucked it back into the bag.

"Sarah," he called to her as he pulled his shirts back over his head, stuck his arms through them. "Throw me a bone here." She tucked the bag of food under her arm and grabbed her purse from the car and closed the door. Then she turned to walk past him and he grabbed her arm.

She looked up at him, unable to keep her face serious. "I'm waiting," he said with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine." She said, as though it were a chore. "I like you. Don't make a big deal out of it." She took a step away from him, towards her apartment and he reached out and snatched up her hand and pulled her back. The bag and her purse fell to the ground as he hauled her up against him, fitting her body tight against his. He was still laughing as he cupped the back of her head and pulled her face to him. She didn't hesitate for a second and pressed her open lips to his. He heard a hum as she laughed into his mouth, stroking her tongue against his. And then he pulled back, running his mouth around to her ear to press a small kiss against the corner of her jaw.

He let her slide back down, let her feet flatten against the ground and tipped his head down. Her fingers were stroking over the fabric of his shirt, tracing the letters of the logo scrawled across the front. She looked up again and touched his mouth to hers one more time, very softly.

Sarah smiled when he pulled away. "I suppose you might as well come in," she said as she lifted an eyebrow. "The food's only gonna get colder." Cooper bent down and picked the bags up off the ground. He put his hand on her shoulder as she walked ahead of him and rubbed his thumb over the skin peeking out at the collar of her shirt; he smiled as her hand came up to cover his.

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>They ate outside down on the patio next to the basement door. The bricks looked new, and the fire pit built into the middle was clean. Once the grill had been turned off and opened up to cool, all the food had been eaten and plates were stacked near the chairs, Sam started a fire and the four of them drew their chairs up close as the sun began to set behind them. They talked about their plans for the next day. Andy knew she had to do her long run. She wouldn't have time during the week and with the marathon only a few weeks away, she needed to run at least fifteen miles; she'd done twenty the week before and was starting to taper off. Sam and Cooper had to run into town to pick up tables and another grill and a load of folding chairs. It was finally decided that Andy would go with them, and they would drop her off on the way and hopefully, by the time they got back, she'd be close to finished and everything could get set up in the early afternoon.<p>

With that plan in place, Sam and Cooper went up to attach the trailer to their old truck before it got completely dark out, promising to bring down beer and dessert on their way back. Sarah stretched her legs out and flexed her feet in front of the fire.

"So, was that the end of the story?" Andy asked, tapping her nails against the glass she held in her hand.

Sarah nodded. "Pretty much."

Andy looked at her in disbelief. "But there's gotta be more."

She laughed. "You asked how we got together. Not how we stayed together. That's a whole different story. Maybe a few stories."

"So, let's go," Andy said with a grin.

"I don't think so. We were together two years before we got married. That's a lot of ground to cover, and you only have one more day here." She looked around the side of the deck to see if the boys were coming back. "Besides, Sam told me that if I monopolize any more of your time, he won't bring you back," she said with a sparkle in her eye.

"Screw that," Andy said in a bored tone.

Sarah shrugged. "He has a point. You two are on vacation. You should spend some time together." She put her hands behind her head and stretched a little. "We might have time for one more part before they come back. What do you want to hear? First date? First fight? Oh, the first time Jane met him," she said with a laugh. "It was so funny. She called him "strapping." You know he blushes like a real redhead? Pink from head to toe," she said with a snicker.

Andy licked her lips nervously and then glanced towards the side of the house where they boys had disappeared. "What happened when you told him about your past?"

Sarah looked at her, and for a second, Andy wished she could take the question back. It really wasn't any of her business. And she really didn't know Sarah as well as it felt like she knew her. But Sarah nodded and looked back at the fire. For the first time, Andy noticed how low the sun had sunk. The features of Sarah's face were only partially visible; the light from the fire flickered against the shadow covering her face, touching the apples of her cheeks and the point of her chin.

"Okay." Sarah sat there for a few minutes, thinking as she took a sip of her water. She took a breath and then paused. Then she did it again and started speaking. "Before I start, I should explain something. Cooper is one of those people who's very good at figuring out how things work. I think that's why he likes history? He can put the dates and times and names together and they all fit into a story that makes sense. Outside of that, he can fix just about anything. If he weren't so embarrassingly bad at math, he probably would have been an engineer or something. The guy can take something apart and rebuild it right in front of you. As long as he doesn't get distracted, or walk away and forget where he put all the parts," she said with a laugh. "I used to walk in and find things in pieces all over the table. A clock; one time, the stereo. I'm not sure why, but it's like in order to work something out in his head, sometimes he needs to work something out with his hands. That's why he has the garage. He's got a 1973 Plymouth Duster that used to belong to his father in there. It hasn't run in ten years. Whenever he needs to, he just goes out there and works on it. He's been rebuilding it part by part since his dad died last year.

"Anyway, it was that first year, just a few months after we got together actually. And I was crazy," she laughed, shaking her head. "Just insanely _crazy_ in love with him. Already." She closed her eyes and blew out a deep breath. "We were moving in together, even though it was so soon." She glanced at Andy. "We'd rented this house. Only two bedrooms, a tiny little kitchen. But we'd brought a few loads over and were planning on finishing over Christmas break. And so the last night before the break, we went out to the parking lot after school, and my car wouldn't start. Again. It was snowing really hard. On the news that morning," she said, squinting as she remembered. "There had been a storm warning. It was supposed to blizzard all weekend. And we were excited for an excuse to just stay locked away in our new place, and with the holiday coming up and the move," she grinned and looked at Andy. "We got a little carried away."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>They'd been silly at the store. They'd gone in for food, just enough to get them through the weekend, but halfway through the cereal aisle, they were having a hard time keeping their hands off each other, and they took what they'd already collected and checked out. Shen Sarah and Cooper burst through the door, shaking snow off their coats, their grins were wide and the air was filled with a pressure, an energy that Sarah had come to recognize and crave. He hung both the coats in the closet as she pulled off her wet shoes. And then she hefted the grocery bag up onto the counter and started unpacking it, quickly tossing food into the fridge and into cupboards as Cooper came up behind her. He pushed her hair away from her neck and leaned over pressing his mouth to the skin he'd just exposed.<p>

She laughed and squirmed and twisted away from him, hands full with food meant for the cupboard. He pulled it away from her, set it on the counter and then reached for her. She danced out of his hands and around the corner into the hallway. She had to sidestep boxes. They were everywhere, and there was extra furniture crammed in every available corner.

She wove through the maze to the living room and when he snatched her to him, she squeaked, laughing as he pulled her up and set her on top of his grandmother's antique dining room table. It took up almost the entire room, and was covered in boxes, but Cooper pushed them to the other end and Sarah laid back. He started stripping her, pulling off her socks, and then her pants and shirt, leaving her in only her bra and underwear. She sat up and helped him lose a few articles of clothing and then she leaned back. He ran his hands up her body, stopping to give attention to a few key areas. By the time his hands closed around her wrists, she was flushed and eager for him to join her up there. He stood between her legs and leaned over her, pressing his mouth against the skin over her breast bone. And then he pushed her wrists against the table up above her head. He kissed her, and she tried to bring her hands down, to put them on his shoulders, but he held them.

At first, it was fine; it was fun. His mouth slid off hers and down the side of her neck. He changed his grip, holding her with one hand while he smoothed the other over her breast and down to her hip, pulling her up against him. His hand tightened slightly against her wrists and then she felt a weird flash of cold run over her body and an acute feeling of claustrophobia began to quickly churn inside her. She arched her back, trying to sit up. He laughed, thinking it was part of the game, but then she really started to writhe against him. Her muscles began screaming at her as she tried to move, tried to sit up. But she couldn't. And the anxiety started to set in, and she started to breathe heavily.

Her leg was already around his waist and she worked it up between them and centered her foot square on his chest and pushed. His hands fell away and she sprang up off the table. He stumbled back, the laughter dying on his lips as his eyes came up and met hers. She slid off the table, still in her underwear and as her feet hit the ground, her hands went up to her hair, dragging it off her sweaty face. Her heart was beating rapidly; she took a few breaths and tried to calm down, but the panic was still washing over her.

He spoke her name, twice, reaching out for her, but she held out a hand, stopping him as she walked past him through the kitchen. Any other time, she would have left, would have gone home, but she _was_ home. And her car was sitting uselessly in the driveway. She was blowing out quick breaths, keeping the feelings at bay for the time being, and he went around the other side, meeting her in the hallway. She side-stepped him and stumbled through the hallway into the bedroom. The instant he reached the doorway, she slammed the door in his face.

"Sarah," he called to her through the door. He didn't follow her, but he continued to say her name. She sat on the bed. She pulled her legs up and crossed them under her and stared at the door, breathing, trying to calm herself down. After a moment, she stood up on the bed and walked across it to the window and flung it open, letting the cold winter air swirl around her. She sank down and bent over, pressed her forehead against her knees.

After that night in the bar, she'd been hoping to go a little longer between the attacks. Last time, it had been eleven months. This time, not even four. She leaned her head against the cool wood of the window frame and closed her eyes in frustration. She was starting to come down a little. The memories weren't the problem. She could keep those pushed back; they were barely images anymore. But the feelings. Helplessness. The feeling of the room getting smaller and smaller. Panic.

Sarah sucked in a huge breath and held it as long as she could, counting her heartbeats; she felt them slow. She did it again. She heard the door click open and she closed her eyes. Cooper finally entered; he'd gone back to the dining room and put his clothing back on and he had hers clutched in his hands. He closed the door quietly behind him and he pulled up the chair, and sat in front of the bed facing her. She took her shirt from him and pulled it over her head, tucking it under her. Then she pulled her legs up and exhaled loudly as she leaned back against the window sill, keeping her eyes off his.

"Sarah," he said again, his voice quiet. "What's wrong.

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Nothing. I'm fine. I'll be fine." She sucked in a long breath and exhaled. "Just give me a minute."

"Just tell me what's wrong."

"No." She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back, over one shoulder. "God, I'm embarrassed," she said forcing out a nervous laugh, rubbing a hand over her face.

"Don't be embarrassed," he said, his eyebrow drawing together in concern. "Just tell me what's wrong."

She took another deep breath. "No. It's not your problem," she said, trying to sound firm, serious. But she didn't have the energy. She leaned closer to the window.

He reached out and took her hand and she gripped it hard. "Why not?" She shook her head. "Look, if you don't tell me, I'm going to call someone." Her eyes swept over to his. "Kit? Sam?" he said raising his eyebrows.

"Don't you dare," she said, her voice low and gravelly.

He held his hand up. "Then tell me, because this is scaring me."

She was quiet for a moment and then her breathing steadied a little more. "I can't tell you," she said slowly. "Because of the way you look at me," she finished on a whisper, looking down at his fingers wrapped around hers.

"How do I look at you?" he asked, frowning.

Her eyes lifted and locked onto his and his expression softened; smile appearing for an instant, eyes searching. He reached out and put his other hand up to her face. She smiled shakily. "Like that," she said quietly. "Like you get me. Like you really _see_ me, how I am inside, and you want me anyway. No one's ever looked at me like you do."

"Sarah," he said softly.

But she shook her head. "If I tell you, you won't look at me like that anymore. You'll feel sorry for me. And you'll wish there was something you could do. But you won't see _me_ anymore." She put a hand up to his and turned her face into his palm, pressing a kiss against it. "And I couldn't stand being here with you if you can't see me."

He used his other hand to push the hair back from her face, fingering the black curls. "I'm worried about you," he whispered.

She shook her head. "That's what I'm talking about," she said with a sad smile. "I have enough people worrying about me. Sam calls me twice a week. Before you, it was more. And I love him, but it irritates the shit out of me," she said, the words flying out of her mouth angrily. "I don't need another person calling to check up on me." She pulled away from him and leaned back against the window.

"Sarah. Look at me."

"No."

"Look at me." She shook her head. And he grabbed her hands, and pulled her away from the window, to the edge of the bed. Then he grabbed her feet and put them on the chair between his knees. She tucked her cold toes under his thighs and he slowly ran his hands up and down her calves. Her eyes slid to his. "Now, just tell me. What happened to you?"

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Sarah paused and took a drink. Her throat was dry from the smoke coming out of the pit. She swallowed and then took another drink. Andy waited and watched her. Sarah looked calm. Whether it was because she really <em>was<em> the best actress on the planet, or because the memories truly didn't bother her anymore, Andy didn't know. But the fire was starting to die down and in the growing darkness, Andy couldn't really see her anymore. And she couldn't read her if she couldn't see her eyes. One more sip.

"So, I told him, and I swear, that man never moved a muscle. His expression never changed the whole time. It must have been really hard for him," she said with a laugh. "He's got a terrible poker face." Her smile softened and then it almost disappeared. "He didn't ask any questions, he didn't want me to explain anything. He just wanted me to tell him." She reached over the arm of her chair, picked up another log and tossed it onto the fire, using a stick to poke things around and stoke it up again. Then she looked at Andy. Her eyes were clear, calm. "He told me later that he'd always kind of known. Not exactly, not for sure, but he'd had a feeling." She looked away again and Andy took a huge swallow of her water.

"Anyway, afterwards, we turned off all the lights and we laid down under the covers and I fell asleep, even though it was early. I thought he fell asleep too, but I woke up later and he was gone." Sarah had a faraway look in her eyes as the memory swept over her again. "I woke up sometime between three and four in the morning and Cooper was gone," she repeated.

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Sarah sat up in the middle of the bed. Before she'd fallen asleep, the bedside lamp had been on. She remembered looking at Cooper one last time, right before her eyes closed, right before he'd reached over and turned it off, cloaking them both in darkness. She remembered the color of his hair as it was backlit; a sort of fiery brown, the glow from the lamp setting the ends aflame. But now, the lamp was off, and next to her, the bed was cold. She crawled over to the edge and leaned over to turn it back on to see by. She glanced around for the rest of her clothing and grabbed her jeans off the floor and dragged them up.<p>

She walked out of the bedroom, poking her head into the bathroom, into the second bedroom. The living room was dark, the television was off. The dining room looked exactly the same as it had hours before. Boxes shoved to the end of the table. Sarah reached down and picked up her socks and then put them back on. She wandered into the kitchen. The food had all been put away. When, she didn't know. She passed through the room and to the entryway and looked out the window in the door towards the backyard. The light to the garage was on.

She slid her feet into her shoes, and then reached down and pulled them up around her heels. She grabbed her coat out of the closet and settled it around her shoulders and then wrenched the door open, a shiver running through her as a gust of wind blew a spray of snow into her face. It was still snowing hard. She saw only faint remnants of Cooper's footprints in the snow. Just the slightest depressions. He'd been outside for a while; the snow had mostly filled them in. His car was sitting in the driveway, but hers was not. Sarah frowned.

She made her way over to the garage, cringing as she felt the snow seep in over the tops of her shoes. Her socks would be wet in seconds. She picked up her feet into a run, and finally gripped the knob and turned it. She pushed the door open and stepped inside. And froze.

The garage was a two stall. The stall against the far wall was full of her car. He'd pushed it into the garage all by himself. There were puddles of water around the wheels where the snow had fallen and melted. But the other stall was full of...her car's engine. There were pieces everywhere, cleaned off and carefully set out in order so Cooper could find what he needed, when he finally needed it. Sarah started stepping around them and when she looked up towards the car, her legs stopped moving.

He hadn't heard her come in. He hadn't seen her. He'd placed a couple of space heaters strategically around the work space and had dropped his coat onto the bench. Wearing an ugly orange sweatshirt, a pair of faded, holey jeans, and a filthy backwards cap, he had his head stuck under the hood and his hands were moving. She couldn't tell if he was still taking things apart, or had gotten around to putting it all back together again, but a wrench was working furiously on a part she didn't recognize. His face was dark, dangerous, determined. As she watched, he brought his arm up, wiped it across his cheeks and his nose as he sniffed loudly and Sarah felt her heart stop. As her hand raised to her neck, the motion caught his eye and he turned his head. The rage passing over his face faded away and slowly he straightened. He turned to the side, tossed the wrench back into his tool box with a loud clatter and she was moving. She walked quickly up to him, stepping over the mess on the floor and when she reached him, she slid her arms around his waist, and he folded her against him, pressing his face to the side of her head, into her hair.

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>"I'm not sure how long we stood there," Sarah said slowly. "It could have been minutes, or a half hour. But eventually, I felt like I could go sleep again and I told him we should go back to bed. He told me to go in, he wanted to finish, but I didn't want to leave him out there alone. So I stayed and helped, even though I clearly had no idea what I was doing. When we finally got that car running again, the sun was up. It had been up for a while. But we closed up the garage and went back into the house. And then we spent the weekend in bed." Sarah looked across the lawn at Cooper as he and Sam came towards them, carrying a bag of food and a six-pack of beer. The fire reflected off Sarah's eyes as she stared at him; and something unreadable burned deep within them. "He sold that table the next week. Said he couldn't stand to look at it anymore."<p>

Within the hour, everyone was thinking about bed. The sun had gone down long before, and the four sat up roasting marshmallows and talking about the next day, about Andy's marathon, about Sarah and Cooper's classes. Sam and Andy told them a few stories from working on the street, but after a while, people began yawning. Sarah and Cooper had pulled their chairs close together and were talking quietly together as Sam watched Andy. She pulled a marshmallow off the barbeque fork and passed it quickly from one hand to the other as it burned her fingers. And then, as it began to fall apart, she put it into her mouth, strings of candy running between her fingers. She picked most of it off, but ended up getting the rest with her teeth and tongue. Sam watched, and after a moment, she saw him watching. Their eyes locked together and the sounds of Sarah and Cooper talking faded slightly. He tipped his head slightly toward the house, and feeling something inside her melt a little, she raised her eyebrows and she looked pointedly up at the porch and then back to Sam, with a barely restrained smile. After that, it was only a matter of minutes before the fire was doused and everyone was on their way back up to the house.

Once upstairs, Sam went through the house, to the bathroom, and when he got back, Andy was in bed, wearing a tiny tank top, made out of some thin light pink fabric, and a pair of matching shorts. He climbed in, stretching out next to her and put his hand on her, smoothing it across her stomach.

As she hummed a little, enjoying the touch, Sam leaned up on an elbow. "I heard you were feeling a little neglected," she said. He looked down at his hand as it ran slowly up over her clothed hip to her waist, and slid up under her tank top. It kept moving up to cover her breast and as his thumb moved slowly over her nipple, he lifted his eyes to her face, watching her as she closed her eyes and smiled, relaxing under his hands.

"I guess I missed you a little," he said with a slight smile and her eyes opened and focused on his face. His hand moved south again and his eyes followed it as his fingertips glided down and then as they slipped under the waistband of her shorts, he looked at her face again, watching her. He stroked slowly over her inner thighs, smiling as she shifted her body in anticipation, opening her legs a little farther. She reached up a hand and pulled his face down to hers, smile widening into a grin.

"I missed you, too," she said. His hand finally landed where she wanted it and she exhaled loudly the instant before his mouth covered hers.

From somewhere outside, Sam heard a giggle and his eyes snapped open, and his hand stilled. Andy arched her hips wanting him to continue but then she heard a squeal and Cooper's laugh. Sam pulled his hand out of her pants and pressed his face into the pillow next to her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up a little.

"I can't do this if I have to listen to _them_ doing this," he mumbled.

She put a hand on his head, ruffled his hair. "They're not outside. They probably just have the window open."

"Yeah, it doesn't matter. That's my sister. I can't listen to my sister doing _that_ while I'm doing…_this_." He gestured at her shorts.

"You're joking, right?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I wish I was," he groaned into the pillow.

Andy blew out a frustrated breath. "Fine. I'll be right back." She threw back the covers, got up, and stalked through the porch tugging down her shirt as she hit the door to the dining room. Then she walked down the hall to Sarah and Cooper's bedroom. She knocked loudly and heard a scuffling, some loud whispers and Sarah's laugh and then the door was wrenched open.

Sarah stood there skin flushed, smile wide. She clutched her robe around her neck. Behind her, the room was softly lit and it looked warm and comfortable. Andy peeked over Sarah's shoulder and saw Cooper sitting on top of the covers in only a pair of boxers. He gave her a small wave and a smile touched with a slight amount of embarrassment and irritation. A slight flush was making its way up his neck to his face and Andy looked away, hiding a smile.

"Sorry to interrupt, but can you close your windows?" Sarah's eyes went to the other side of the room and she burst into laughter and nodded.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to keep you up." She closed the door and before Andy got halfway down the hall, she heard two windows slam shut and Cooper say, "Get back over here," with a laugh in his voice.

When Andy got back to the porch, the light was off and she said, "Sam." Nothing. "Sam," she hissed. He raised his head and shook it, running a hand over his head. "Oh no," she said shaking her head with a grin. "You started this. You're going to finish it," she said throwing the covers off him and getting in. She pushed at his shoulder and he flipped over onto his back and she climbed on top of him.

"McNally," he said, his tone warning her that an excuse was coming. Andy covered his mouth with the tips of her fingers.

"We're wearing entirely too many clothes," she said and whipped her shirt off. Sam's eyes were moving over her and his words died on his lips as she leaned over and tossed it onto her duffel and then swung back, her hair falling over her shoulders. "Where were we now?"

He leaned up onto his elbows and her hands framed his face, fingers moving over the stubble on his jaw. He reached up and put one hand behind her head and pulled her down to him. Andy leaned up on her knees and licked into his mouth. His hand moved down her back and clutched at her waist, pulling her down, holding her in place as her she sunk down, settling on top of him and then began to move a little. He moaned quietly into her mouth and she pressed her hands against his chest. As she pulled back, she trailed her hands down over his chest, lightly skimming the skin over his ribs with her nails.

"Is this how you were doing it?" she whispered in his ear. Her nails moved down slowly over his stomach to his waistband and then she ran her fingers underneath the elastic, against the skin, left to right and back again. He sucked in a quick breath as they traveled lower and then she watched his face as her hand closed around him and his head tipped back.

"Feeling a little more up to it?" she asked mischievously .

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><p>.<p>

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><p><strong>I know I promised mucho McSwarek. There will be more in the next chapter. Also, a tiny bit of running, for those of you that enjoy that :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: I have this problem...the closer I get to the end of a story, the more time seems to slow down in the chapters. Hence, this day is split into two chapters. Ridiculous, I know.**

**Thanks to all of you who read, and double thanks to all of you who review. I am stunned daily by the amount of alerts being added for this story. It makes the work completely worthwhile. :)**

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Andy's alarm chirped at her and she raised her head and yawned. And then it went off again. Before it could go off a third time, she reached out a flailing hand and hit the button, turning it off. She was on her back at the edge of the bed and Sam's arm was over her, his hand tucked up under her arm, behind her shoulder. She shoved at him and in his sleep he made a noise and rolled over, freeing her. She let her legs fall over the side of the bed and then she put her bare feet on the wooden floor and curled her toes against the cold. For a second, she considered skipping her run. But she had less than a month before the marathon and she needed it. She could have put it off another hour, but they had a busy day ahead of them. Andy stood up and stretched her arms over her head and started pulling on clothing. She put on a pair of blue running shorts, a sports bra and a black fitted tank top. Then she bent down and pulled a pair of socks on over her feet and combed her fingers through her hair a few times. She bound it up into a secure pony tail and then tucked her running shoes under her arm.<p>

Her plan was to hit the bathroom and get into the kitchen for some breakfast before Cooper and Sam got up, so that by the time they were ready to go, she'd have some food and water in her and be ready to run. Andy reset the alarm for fifteen minutes to wake Sam, and then walked quietly across the porch, turning the corner and heading down the hall to the main part of the house. But she stopped maybe ten feet from the door to the kitchen.

The doors leading from the porch to the house were wooden with glass panes running the entire height and width and so Andy could see into the kitchen. She stood there in the dark and watched Cooper and Sarah together. They must have set their alarm for earlier, because they were both standing next to the counter. Cooper was already dressed and making coffee. Sarah was pulling out a box of cereal and a few bowls. He finished setting up the coffee pot and he turned to face her as she stood at the sink in her robe. He took a single step and then he was standing in front of her, the light over the stove the only illumination in the room.

He put his hand up to her face, tracing it down over her cheek as she smiled up at him. And then he ran one of her curls between his fingers, stretching it, straightening it; letting it spring back before he wrapped it around them. She leaned up on her toes, and he bent to meet her, pressing his mouth firmly against hers. His fingers released the lock of hair and he flattened his hand over her shoulder, and then ran it down her chest, between her breasts and down to her stomach, where he let it rest for a long moment before he ran it around to her back. His hand fisted in the shirt beneath her robe and he pulled her against him hard. Sarah broke the kiss momentarily and drew in a rough breath and then her hands went to his face, holding his jaw in her hands as she readjusted and kissed him again.

Andy took a step back. Then she turned away, not wanting to further intrude on what was clearly a very private moment between them. Instead, she quietly opened the door to the dining room and passed through it, wincing as her second step made one of the floor boards squeak. She tiptoed quickly though the room, into the hall and down to the bathroom, where she splashed some water on her face and brushed her teeth. When she finished, she stepped out of the bathroom and heard Sarah call her name.

"Yeah?" she asked, walking into the kitchen.

Sarah smiled and set a box of cereal, the milk, and a bowl and spoon on the table. "Just checking."

Cooper was at the sink, loading dishes into the dishwasher and as Sarah walked back over, she put a hand low on his back and he turned his head and whispered something to her. Andy turned away and fixed herself a bowl.

The last few times she'd been in this chair, she'd been distracted by the chatter and the motion. But this morning, she was having the opposite problem. Sarah and Cooper were clearly still underwhatever spell they'd been in when she'd almost walked in on them. Instead, she, focused her attention on the refrigerator at her back. She'd noticed the first time she'd walked in that it was covered in photographs. Mostly black and white, color was interspersed in irregular intervals from the top fo the floor. The color ones were mostly close-ups of objects, flowers, and pictures of the house. The black and whites were all people. She saw a few pictures of her and Sam from Sarah's most recent trip to Toronto. And of course, there were dozens of Cooper. Of him doing lots of things, from correcting tests in his chair, glasses perched on the end of his nose, to painting the shed, to close-ups of him with his hand out in front of his face. Those made Andy smile.

There were other people in several of the pictures. Sometimes, though seldom, Sarah. Andy could tell by the tilt of her head and her unwillingness to raise her eyes that she was uncomfortable being on this side of the lens. Sometimes, Sam, who was not camera-shy in any way. And in many of the pictures, there were children. In particular, two twin boys and another older boy. The twins had hair so light it could have been white. The older boy's hair was also light, though not as blinding as the others. She scanned the fridge and saw a picture of the three of them with Sarah and another woman. It was a little hard to tell, but her hair appeared to be very nearly the same shade as the twins. Andy was just guessing, but that was probably Kit. The twins bore a striking resemblance to her, but the third boy must have taken after her husband. Andy scanned the rest of the photos, her brow furrowed, but didn't see any of her with a man other than Sam or Cooper.

"What's up?" Sarah asked, watching her.

Slowly, Andy shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking." Her head snapped to the right as she heard her late alarm go off, and then a crash and a muffled curse. Then she heard Sam's feet land hard on the floor and his footsteps as he walked towards the kitchen. Andy looked up at him gratefully as he came through the door in a pair of sweatpants.

He yawned as he held out his hand for the cup of coffee Sarah was pouring him. His hair was sticking up in random tufts and he moved towards Andy slowly, shuffling barefoot until he reached the table. He sat down heavily in the chair across from Andy, resting his head in his hand; and as his other hand curled around the warm mug, his eyes closed.

Cooper finished loading the dishwasher and he turned it on and then walked past the table, clapping a hand on Sam's shoulder. "We're leaving in ten minutes. Better get dressed."

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><p>They walked out the door and Sarah went back to the bedroom to lay back down. Cooper started moving around to the driver's side of the truck, but Sam snatched the keys out of his hand and grinned. "Sorry man, but you drive like an old lady." He held them out of his reach until he finally gave up and walked around to the bed.<p>

Cooper started digging through a box in the back of the truck. He turned to Andy. "Would you mind grabbing a few more straps out of the garage? There's a crate by the door."

She shrugged. "Sure."

Andy walked over and let herself in, flipping the light on. Next to the door, there was a long workbench bolted to the wall and she glanced around. Everything on the bench and everything hanging on the wall was neatly stacked and put away. There were a few metal boxes with little drawers set in them, each labeled. Tools were hanging in sets, all the screwdrivers together, all the hammers together. Undoubtedly Sarah's doing. She smiled a little and spun around to look at the rest of the building. In front of where the cars were, was a large cage made out of chain link fencing and inside, there were a stack of inner tubes, a four-wheeler, a few bikes. She walked up to it and looked closer. Three bikes. Two large mountain bikes and one smaller, with bright colors splashed along the frame. She was about to open the cage when she heard Cooper behind her.

"Andy, over here." She turned and saw him pointing to the corner right next to the door.

"Sorry," she said with a smile and made her way over. He'd already pulled out the ones he wanted and held the door open for her to pass through. The straps were tossed with a clatter into the back of the truck and he let Andy slide in across the bench seat to sit next to Sam before he got in after her. His legs were bent at a weird angle and for a moment, crammed in between them, the cab seemed an inch too narrow.

They bounced down the gravel road, driving slowly with the trailer until they hit the highway, and then Sam sped up and headed toward town. "Why are we doing this again?" he asked, yawning.

"You guys are getting tables and stuff for the party," Andy said absently, clicking through her iPod. She tucked it back into the armband and started checking the belt around her waist, making sure she'd brought her gels and filled all the little bottles full of water.

"No, I mean, why are we even having this party?"

She looked at Cooper and then at Sam. "Isn't it for his birthday?" They both smirked. "What? I don't get it."

"Sarah doesn't like parties," Cooper said.

"Sarah doesn't like _people_," Sam corrected.

"But she threw us a party in Toronto."

Sam looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "She sat in the dining room the whole time playing cards. The party was in the basement."

"Oh, yeah, you owe me $200, by the way," Cooper said looking at Sam.

"For what?"

He grinned. "For siccing that rookie on my wife, and then leaving her there. You know she's not as good when she plays by herself. I don't care what she thinks."

"Hey, I didn't know Epstein was going to take her money," Sam argued.

"Oliver told him what to watch for," Andy said as she started setting up her distance tracker.

Sam looked at her. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "That's what Dov said. Won him his money back."

He smirked. "That's playing dirty. Next time, we'll take our time with him. Bleed him dry."

Andy rolled her eyes. "Anyway...back to Sarah and parties?"

Cooper rolled down the window and hung his elbow out. "She says she does it for me, but I don't really care one way or the other. Truthfully, I think she does it to keep herself busy. She's one of those people that always has to have a project. Or four," he said with a laugh.

Sam stretched his arm out over the back of the seat and let his hand fall over Andy's shoulder. "I bet you Sarah ends up sitting on the deck, watching the whole thing."

Cooper shook his head. "Nah. She's better than she used to be. She'll make it down to the lawn for sure." He grinned over at Sam.

Andy was confused. "She spent all day yesterday talking to me. Maybe she likes people more than you think."

Cooper shook his head and smiled at her. "Sarah doesn't consider you people. She considers you family." He held her eyes and Andy felt her mouth twitch into a smile and then he reached over her and flipped on the radio. His eyes went out the window then and Andy looked over at Sam. He squeezed her shoulder, and she leaned her head back on his arm, waiting until the ride was over.

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><p>They stopped Cooper got up to let Andy out, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and then tipped his head back in annoyance before he blew out a loud breath and snapped the phone open. "Yeah."<p>

Andy looked at him as he took a few steps away and started talking quietly. Sam came up behind her. "Do you remember how to get back?"

"I've got the map." She patted the pocket on her thigh. "Is he okay?"

Sam glanced over. "He's fine. You've got water and snacks?"

She nodded, running her hands over her belt and pockets. "Check check."

"Okay," he said with a smile. "We'll drive back and check on you in between stops. But you've got your phone and your keys?"

Andy rolled her eyes and dug in her pocket for both her cell and her key ring with a small vial of pepper spray on it. "I'm good. You can leave already."

He smirked. "Fine. I'll see you in a few hours." He leaned in and kissed her quick.

"Hey," Cooper called with a grin as he swung back into the truck. "We've gotta go. We've got to take a quick drive."

Sam pulled away and started walking backwards towards the truck. "Later." She waved and turned around and started a slow warm-up jog back the way they'd come.

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><p>Andy saw the yard maybe a quarter mile down the road and slowed her already snail-like pace to a walk. The run had been difficult, but the change of scenery had helped to put the actual distance from her mind. The last five miles had been on the shoulder of the road, outside of town which was different. After only ever running through town, the damp, cloying smell of vegetation assailed her as her feet hit the gravel. Every now and again, a car would speed by, but it was Sunday, and it was still pretty early, so she didn't have much company.<p>

She had to stop twice to walk and once to duck behind a tree to pee, but she finally made it back. Andy stepped onto the driveway and made a face as she realized she still had to walk all the way to the house. Now that she was moving slower, she couldn't distract herself from the almost unbearable tightness in her calves or the blister on her toe that she'd started feeling somewhere around mile eleven. And so by the time she reached the path up to the house, she wasn't walking as much as hobbling.

She'd almost reached the door when three kids ran past her. Two of them were small, maybe around five years old, towheaded and identical. Twins. They brushed against her as they moved. The third almost crashed into her, and she reached out to grab him to steady them both and froze, her hands on his shoulders. Definitely the third boy from the pictures, but a little older. And up close, there was another kind of familiarity. Something about the line of his jaw and the arch of his brow. He looked nothing like Kit, nothing like the other two children. But he did look like someone else. He was tall enough to be twelve, but had the look of a slightly younger boy; his features still had a roundness to them. His limbs were long and thin. And his shaggy hair _was_ light, but instead of the darker shade of blonde she'd expected, the color was somewhere between auburn and carrot orange. As he turned to look at her, she saw that his face was covered in freckles and his eyes were wide, fringed with light lashes, and colored a shade of blue that matched the sky.

She let go of him, still staring.

"Are you Andy?" he asked and she nodded. He grinned at her and then turned away, running slowly toward the corner of the house. Even the set of his shoulders, the way he carried himself was similar.

"Wait!" she called and he stopped and looked at her. "What's your name?"

The grin widened. "Jacob Lafferty."

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><p>Andy stood there for a second, unsure of what she'd heard, but then followed him around to the front of the house. She caught sight of Sarah on the deck and pushed herself up the stairs to join her. She was sitting on one of the chairs, a bottle of water sweating next to her, and she tossed it to Andy as she walked up. "I was starting to wonder if we should send out a search party."<p>

"Thanks," she murmured as she brought it up to her mouth, draining a good portion before lowering it. She pressed the cool bottle to her chest and stepped up to the railing. "Anything you might have forgotten to mention?" she asked with a questioning smile.

Sarah lifted an eyebrow behind her sunglasses. "We have company?" Andy looked out over the yard. The twins were currently running around Cooper and Sam as they unfolded tables. The third boy was sitting on one of the top blocks of the retaining wall, talking to them. The men were listening, turning their faces towards him. Then Andy watched as Cooper walked over and held out his hands and picked him up off the wall, tossing him over his shoulder. Sam caught sight of Andy and walked towards her, away from the group.

Andy turned back and bent over, beginning her stretches. "Is that who I think it is?"

Sarah leaned up and looked through the bars. "The twins, Ryan and Brady, are Kit's. She dropped them off early so she could get some things done. The redhead is Jake."

"And Jake is?"

Sarah lifted her sunglasses and then her gaze went over Andy's shoulder to Sam as he came up behind her. "You didn't tell her about Jake?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You told me not to say anything."

"To Cooper, not to Andy." She shook her head and sat back. "It's the boyfriend's job to explain about family, you know."

"Is that what _he_ did?" Sam asked with a laugh. Sarah gave him a dirty look.

"Hold on," Andy said, straightening. "Who's Jake?" she asked one more time, needing to hear them actually say the words.

Sarah's eyebrows drew together and she gave her an enigmatic smile. "Jake is Cooper's son."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "And this didn't come up yesterday, why?"

Sarah grinned. "I asked if you wanted to hear about our first fight, but you had to jump right to the good stuff."

"Wait," Sam said, confused. "What's the good stuff?"

Ignoring him, Andy sat down and leaned forward, wrapping her fingers over the toe over her shoe. "Why shouldn't he say anything to Cooper?" she asked, confused.

Sarah pushed her glasses up onto her head and leaned up again. She glanced through the slats in the railing again and then turned back to Andy. "Because we found out two days ago that he wasn't coming, and Cooper was upset, and I didn't want to rub it in. But he got a call this morning, and they went to get him, so everything worked out."

Andy shook her head and reached up to tug at Sam's shirt. "Can you do the tub? And make me a sandwich?"

"Do I look like your personal servant?" he asked with a grin.

She squinted at him. "Sometimes."

He rolled his eyes and tugged her ponytail before walking into the house.

Then Andy resumed her stretches and looked at Sarah again. "You might as well get started. I think I have maybe ten minutes before he gets the ice in the tub and I get my food."

"It's not enough time."

"Try anyway. You can finish in the bathroom."

Sarah looked at her, amused by the forceful tone in Andy's voice. She slid to the edge of her chair and looked out over the yard. Cooper and the three boys were playing in the yard. He had one twin wrapped around each leg with Jake still over his shoulder. The sound of excited howling was echoing off the trees and the water.

"Okay, so this happened before the last part. Before we moved in together. We'd been seeing each other for about a month. And it was..." She drew in a breath. "It was good. Like really good." She turned towards Andy. "And I was very...attached. It might take me a while to warm up to someone," she looked pointedly at her. "But once I do, that's it." Andy smiled at her. Sam had told her something similar before she'd met Sarah. "Anyway, were were completely wrapped up in each other. Spent every spare second we had together. And then one day, he blew me off."

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Sarah hefted the bag up over her shoulder and knocked loudly on Cooper's door. The night before, they were supposed to run up to Toronto to go to a gallery opening, but he'd shown up in her class room right before last period and begged off for the night. And then today, her calls had gone largely unanswered, but when she'd finally gotten through, he said he wasn't feeling well. So, after a few hours of sitting around, bored out of her mind, she went to the store and picked up some supplies. She raised her hand to knock again when the door swung open. He frowned when he saw her, which wasn't a natural expression for him and she raised her eyebrows.<p>

"Happy to see you too," she said with a dirty look. Sarah pushed past him and put the bag on the kitchen counter.

"What're you doing here?"

"Well, you said you weren't feeling well so I went and got a bunch of stuff." She started pulling it out, and one at a time, bottles of Nyquil and Theraflu and ibuprofin and gingerale started littering his kitchen. "I figured that since we've been sleeping together for a month and we work in the same petri dish, I'm probably already infected." She set a box of Kleenex on top of the microwave and looked at him. He was barefoot, wearing a T-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, and looked like she'd just woken him up from a nap. She checked her watch. A nap at nine o'clock at night. "Really, are you okay?"

He nodded. "I'm not sick. I have a headache, and I'm exhausted, but I'm not sick."

She tore into the box of ibuprofin and tossed him the bottle. He popped it open and shook out a couple of pills and swallowed them dry. She popped open a can of gingerale and took a swig and passed it to him. He took a sip and then held it between his hands, looking down at it, mouth tight.

She raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

He put the can down and crossed his arms and Sarah noticed how uncomfortable he looked. He was stiff, muscles tensed like he was ready to bolt at any second. He met her eyes directly for a moment. For a second, it looked like he had something to say, but in the end, he dropped his gaze and shook his head. "No, everything's fine."

She moved closer to him and put her hands on his waist, and out of habit, his moved to her shoulders. "We can go lay down if that will help the headache." She took a step forward, forcing him back, and then turned them both and pulled him towards the hall. When she turned towards the bedroom, he took a step back and towed her with him to the living room.

"I'm set up out here."

Once in the living room, Cooper stretched out on the couch, cramming the pillow back under his head. He held out his arm towards her and she let him pull her over to the couch. She laid on top of him, resting her head on his chest. Reaching behind them, he pulled the blanket up, covering both of them. Sarah reached down and grabbed the remote off the carpet and resumed the movie he'd been watching. Something with fast cars and bright colors, and absolutely no plot. He ran his hands down over her hair, and down to her back where they rested, fingers tracing lazy patterns against her shirt. The tracing stopped as she felt him relax under her, felt his breath in her hair. His heart was beating slow and steady under her ear and she tried to focus on the movie. But then she heard a noise.

It was a tiny noise, a shuffling almost. Fabric against carpet. Without raising her head, she shifted her eyes towards the hallway and stiffened. There was a child standing in the hallway. A toddler, with a shock of the brightest red hair Sarah had ever seen. He was wearing a pair of dark green pajamas with some sort of cartoon character on the front and was using a fist to rub at his eyes. Then he lowered his arm and looked at Sarah, blinking a few times.

Cooper's eyes opened as he felt her tense above him.

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

She lifted her head and glanced at him and then back at the hallway. "Who is that?"

Cooper arched his neck to look behind him and as Sarah slowly slid off of him, moving to the far end of the couch, he swung his legs down and stood up. As he walked up, the child held his arms out and Cooper scooped him up and held him against his side and as he cupped his head in his hand, the boy pressed his face against his shoulder. He looked at Sarah and she actually saw him run through a dozen possible answers to her question before he looked down at the tiny hands clutching at his shirt and said, "This is Jake."

"And he's..." she prompted, eyebrows raised.

He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Just give me five minutes," he pleaded, looking at her with wide eyes. Silently, she nodded, a little dazed, and he turned and walked quickly back to the bedroom. She continued to stare in the direction he'd gone for a few moments, completely dumbstruck. She could hear his voice, speaking quietly, echoing down the hall.

Sarah was feeling a little hot, and she lifted the heavy mass of her hair off her neck and walked into the kitchen. She pulled open the junk drawer and started digging around, looking for the clip she'd left the last time she'd been there. She couldn't find it. Her hands were a little unsteady as she dug through various pens, decks of cards, and other stuff, and finally, she shoved the drawer shut.

Instead, she pulled a glass down and went to the freezer for ice. As she popped a few cubes out of the tray, her eyes landed on the bottle of vodka lying on it's side in the door. "Why the hell not?" she asked herself out loud as she reached for it. She poured a healthy portion out and took a sip. Then she went back to the drawer, pulled it out, started emptying it.

She heard Cooper come into the kitchen. "Have you seen that purple clip I had in my hair the last time I was here? I thought I left it on the counter, but I can't find it." He picked it up off the top of the microwave and handed it to her. She took it from him and quickly bound up her hair. Then she started scooping stuff back into the drawer, fitted it back into the tracks and pushed it back in. Finished, Sarah turned away from him and held the glass back up to her mouth.

"Sarah," he said, as he saw her hesitate at the edge of the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

She gave a short laugh and then turned to look at him. "I am having a drink," she began holding up her glass. Then she set it down so she could boost herself up onto the counter. "While I wait for you to tell me that that is not your kid." He didn't say anything. "Because," she continued. "I'm pretty sure that I would know if you had a kid. I mean, we did the get to know each other talks a while ago. You know, how many brothers and sisters, dead or alive grandparents. I thought that children would have been covered," she finished with a distracted nod. Her tone had changed from falsely nonchalant to biting, and she regretted it instantly, but she couldn't stop it.

He walked up and put his hands on the counter on either side of her legs.

"Don't," she said as he stepped closer. The word came out clipped, short. He hesitated, but stepped back and folded his arms, leaning against the counter opposite her. "So, he's..."

"My son," he said with a nod.

Her teeth worried at her lower lip and she nodded. Then she frowned and looked at him. "Where's all the baby stuff?"

"What?"

"The baby stuff. Clothes, toys, crib?"

"Clothes and toys come with him. And he's almost three; he's a little big for a crib." He paused, waiting for her to say something and when she didn't he continued. "This is the first time I've had him since I moved here, and I haven't gotten around to getting him a bed."

"And um, how..." she blew out a breath, trying to remain calm. "How did this all happen?"

"The usual way," he said, looking at her.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "You don't want to get sarcastic with me right now. I'm amazed I'm still sitting here."

He paused and then nodded. "So am I. I was pretty sure I'd come out and you'd be gone."

"Yeah, well," Sarah started and gave a small laugh. "It might still happen." Cooper watched her as she tapped her fingers against the counter. She looked away and tossed back the rest of her drink. She picked up the bottle and poured another splash. "Sam asked you. That night," she said and then gulped at her glass. "He asked you if you'd ever been married, and you said no."

"Actually, you interrupted before I could answer." Her eyes shot to his and her face went a little white. "I haven't though. I've never been married."

"So?"

He shifted nervously. "Can we go sit down and talk about this? I feel like I'm in front of the firing squad."

"Good. That's how you're supposed to feel."

"Fine." Running a hand through his hair, he blew out a breath. "I started seeing Alyssa five years ago during her last year of college. When she graduated she decided she wanted to go to grad school, and I decided I wanted to go with her and we were together another year before she got pregnant. My mother," he said with a short bitter laugh, "wanted us to get married, but since she left my father when I was fifteen and basically took him for everything he had, I thought maybe she wasn't the best authority on that topic. And we were having problems before. It would have been like slapping a band aid on a broken bone."

Sarah watched him. With each recollection, his face fell a little more, his voice got quieter and she felt a little bit of the fire go out of her. He tipped his head down as he paused and then continued.

"But, we stayed together anyway. After she had Jake, Alyssa took a year off from school while I worked, and everything was going alright for a while, but when she went back, I don't know. Something changed. We never saw each other, because I was working two jobs and she was trying to take classes and when we did see each other, we just fought all the time." He shrugged. "Anyway, I found out that while I was working nights to keep us in food and diapers, she was sleeping with one of the guys in her study group." He was nodding to himself as he recounted the details. "So I moved out. That was a little over a year ago."

She stared at him, trying to figure out if she wanted to comfort him or scream at him and then gave her head a slight shake. "You chased me," she said quietly. He stared back and nodded. "Did you ever consider that I might not want to be with someone who has a kid?"

"All the time," he replied, looking like he was bracing himself.

"So then why? I mean, did I strike you as the motherly type? Because I really doubt it."

Cooper just looked at her, long enough so she started to feel a little unnerved. "I chased you, because I wanted you," he said simply, his shoulder lifted in a helpless shrug. "I still want you."

She turned it over in her mind. "Then why lie to me? You looked me straight in the eye and said you didn't have anything to hide. You said I could trust you."

"And I meant it," he said firmly and her eyes raised to his. "You _can_ trust me. I'd never do anything to hurt you if I could help it. And I would have answered any question your brother asked me. But he never asked me about this."

"That is such a copout."

"Well, Jesus, Sarah. Can you blame me? Was I supposed to just offer up an excuse for you to walk away?" He tipped his head back against the cabinets and exhaled loudly. "I wanted to wait until you at least knew me before you made that decision." He ran his hand over his arm, clearly uncomfortable.

"You mean you wanted to wait until I was invested. Until I cared too much to end it." He looked at her guiltily. "That is so unfair," she said, pushing out a short incredulous laugh.

"I know."

"Cooper, we were talking about moving in together just two nights ago. I mean, I know we were joking, but still."

"I know."

"Were you going to wait until we'd signed the lease?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "Exactly how long were you going to let this go? It's not really something you'd be able to hide."

He pressed his lips together and shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry. This wasn't how I wanted you to find out. I wasn't supposed to get him until the end of the month and I was going to tell you before he got here. But she just sprung this on me yesterday I didn't know what to say to you."

"How about, 'Hey, Sarah, I can't go to that opening this weekend because I have to watch my kid'?" she said sarcastically.

"You know what?" he replied, pushing himself off the counter angrily. "I'm not perfect, okay? I don't always know the right words or have the best plan. I just do what feels right. And all I knew was that if I gave you even one reason not to be with me, you wouldn't."

Cooper turned his head as a high plaintive voice called, "Daddy," from the other end of the apartment.

He pushed out a breath and lowered his voice. "You have your secrets too. And I don't care, because even now, even as new as this is, there isn't a single thing you can tell me would make me want to end this." His eyes met hers and she stared back for a long moment before her gaze slid away. Again, he stepped up close to her, putting his hands on the counter on either side as he leaned down. "Look, I have to take care of him." He took a deep breath. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it's too much to ask. If you leave," he shook his head, tipping it down in a sort of defeat, and exhaled loudly. "If you leave, I guess I'll understand." For a moment, he didn't move; he just stood there, and Sarah's hands twitched. She slowly moved them towards his, but before she could touch him, he turned and left the room.

Sarah leaned her head back against the cabinet and stared up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath. Her brain was full. So was her heart. She looked down at the glass in her hands, at the swallow still left in the bottom and then held it out and turned it upside down, letting it run into the sink. Then she slid off the counter and stood in the middle of the kitchen. Here, in his room, in his place, she couldn't think. She couldn't think with him in the bedroom ten feet away.

She walked to the door and quietly, slipped out of the apartment and out into the hall. Sarah turned the knob as she closed the door so it wouldn't click behind her and slid down to the floor, leaning against it. She took a deep breath and then started going over everything. All the things she'd said, and the things he'd said, and the look on his face as he realized that this was one situation that he wasn't able to talk his way out of. The way she'd wanted to touch her head to his right before he'd left the kitchen. He'd been right about one thing. If he'd told her about Jake at any time before they'd gotten together, before they'd reached this place, wherever that was, she would have used it as an excuse. She wasn't proud of it, but it was true.

And now? A month ago, she hadn't wanted to complicate her life with Cooper. And now, without actually saying the words, he was asking her to complicate it further. What would it mean for her, this new revelation? Would it be a constant bombardment of Sponge Bob and Crayola, or could it possibly be as easy as a weekend here and there? Maybe she was thinking too much. It was possible that she and Cooper would fizzle out sooner or later and she wouldn't have to worry about this at all. At the thought, she felt an ache start burning in her chest.

She tipped her head back against the door. The first question, the only real question, was whether or not she still wanted to be with him. That answer came easily. Over the last four weeks, she's realized that when he was around, everything just seemed easier. Calmer. He helped settle things inside her and at the same time, turned her inside out on a daily basis. She'd never been so steady and so alive. And happy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy.

She smiled and closed her eyes. It would take some adjusting. Compromise. And patience. And an even temper. Three things that didn't really come naturally to her. She frowned. Another thought occurred to her. Maybe he wouldn't want her involved at all. It wasn't as if she had a history of compassion and kindness. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. Maybe he'd just expect her to clear out whenever Jake was around.

And out of no where, a picture sprang to her mind, of him holding that small child against his side, and something inside her, some instinct long-buried started sparking. A smile spread across her face. She could try harder. She could learn to compromise and she could be patient and even-tempered one or two weekends a month.

Suddenly, the wall behind her back fell away and she squeaked and fell onto her back in the doorway. Cooper looked down at her, his expression changing rapidly from fear to surprise and finally to slight amusement.

"I thought you left," he said in a tight voice as he crouched down.

Sarah smiled up at him, still flat on her back. "I'm still here." She rolled over and pushed herself up on to her knees and he helped her up off the floor.

He let go of her hand and stepped back, folding his arms across his chest. He looked down at the floor as she watched him. "Cooper." His eyes came up. "I'm still here," she repeated. "I'm not leaving."

He exhaled, and she saw his shoulders sag a little in relief as his head came up. "I really am sorry that I didn't say something earlier," he said quietly and she nodded.

"I'm not saying that this is okay, the way this happened, but," she paused and raised her eyebrows, "I can see why you might have been scared to tell me."

"'Scared' isn't exactly the word I'd choose," he said narrowing his eyes a little. "'Apprehensive' is a little more manly."

Her eyebrows jumped. "Well, I'm scared."

He frowned. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Because I don't see this ending any time soon, and that means that I'm going to be around when he's here. Right?"

He nodded. "I hope so, but it's up to you."

"Aren't you afraid I'm going to screw him up? I mean, the things I say and do are going to affect him." She looked down at her feet, and dragged her toe along the carpet.

He smiled for the first time in a half hour and stepped up to her. "You've been affecting kids for years now. No one's fired you yet."

"Yeah, but they're teenagers," she argued. "Most of them are already as screwed up as they're going to get by the time I get ahold of them."

He lifted a hand and brushed her hair back from her face and then tipped it up to look at him. "You're a lot softer than you think, Sarah."

"I'm not so sure about that," she said with a wry smile.

"I am." He cupped the back of her head in his hand and her eyes closed as her cheek touched his shirt and his arm ran around her back, holding her close.

"So what now?" he asked, quietly.

She smiled and pulled back to look at him. "Can I see him?" she asked. "You know, just so I can get a 'before' picture seared into my brain."

He ducked his head, but not before she saw the smile that lit up his face. Whether happiness that she'd taken an interest or just the unfamiliar look of fatherly pride, she wasn't sure. But his head came back up and he wrapped his fingers around hers. The smile stayed on his face as he led her back to the bedroom.

.

A few minutes later, Sarah found herself wearing a pair of Cooper's pajama pants rolled up and cinched tight at the waist and a t-shirt that hung down to her knees. The bed was shoved up against the wall and Sarah was lying on it, Cooper curled behind her. Both had their heads propped up on their hands. He stretched his arm over her as he adjusted the tiny quilted blanket over Jake. Jake was sleeping on his stomach on top of the covers on the other half of the bed, face turned towards them. He shifted, starting to move around a little and Cooper's hand, seeming even larger as it settled on the small child, started rubbing small slow circles on his back. Unable to help herself, Sarah reached out and stroked the back of her index finger over one round cheek and was rewarded when his lips curved into a brief smile. She drew her hand back and whispered, "Do you have any other bombs to drop on me? Because right now, I'm as forgiving as I'm ever going to get."

"This is it. This is the big one." He kissed her hair. "Terrifying, isn't he?" He still had that adorable chubbiness to his face, and as breath escaped his lips, Sarah felt it blow right through her.

She shot an unamused look over her shoulder. "He's a little less intimidating when he's sleeping." She thought of something and reached back and put her hand on his thigh. "He _is_ the only one you've got, right? Because this is the only time letting you off the hook." She heard him laugh quietly.

"He's it."

His arm wrapped around her and as it settled against her middle, she slid hers over it, lacing her fingers through his. "Are you two friendly?" she asked carefully.

"Me and Alyssa?" He snorted. "Friendly isn't really the word I'd use right now." He pressed his lips to her hair. "We're still figuring it out. It's harder now that we don't live in the same city."

"Why don't you? It would probably be easier." She felt his chest move as he breathed and her head dropped to the pillow.

"I needed a change of scenery, there was an opening at the school, and I like it here." He tucked his legs in behind hers. "Besides, if we meet halfway, the drive isn't too long. It's workable."

Sarah closed her eyes, pulling his arm tighter around her. He was warm against her back, and she felt sleep start pulling at her.

"There _is_ one thing I should probably tell you," Cooper whispered as she relaxed against him.

"What's that?" She asked as she turned her face against the pillow.

"The other day, I wasn't actually joking when I said I wanted you to move in with me." Suddenly wide awake, she turned over onto her back and he grabbed at her as the motion shoved him to the very edge of the bed.

"We can't move in together," she hissed. "Are you crazy?"

He grinned. "Why not?"

"For a dozen reasons, starting with the fact that we'be only been together a month..."

"Well, we slept together almost two months ago, so if you think about it that way..." His eyes glanced over at Jake who hadn't moved.

"No. It's not the same thing. And normal people don't move in after two months." His smile never wavered as he bent down and kissed her neck. "Don't forget you're adding a part-time kid to the mix," she continued, whispering around him.

"Sarah, your place already looks like you have professional finger-painters living there. I don't think he could do any more damage."

She smacked him . "And clearly," she continued, "we still have things to learn about each other."

Cooper slid his hand across her middle, splaying his fingers.

"I didn't mean we should move in together today. Your lease is up in December. I can wait until then," he said bending his head to hers.

"That's in three weeks," she said narrowing her eyes and pulling away from him. "It's not happening." His hand stroked up her side. "What's your rush anyway? We've got lots of time."

"i just know what I want," he said quietly, tipping her chin up so he could press his mouth to hers.

Sarah traced her finger over the seam running the breadth of his shoulder and looked up at him. "How can you possibly know already?"

"I'm not really sure," he said with a laugh. "But I do."

She took a deep breath and he put his hand on her chest, spreading his fingers, feeling it rise and fall. "Let's talk about it again in December," Sarah said.

"I'll wear you down eventually," he said with a smile. "I'm annoyingly persistent." He reached behind him and turned off the lamp.

"You're half right," she muttered giving him a playful glare in the darkness. She reached up and pulled his face to hers. She pressed her lips against his cheek, rubbing the tip of her nose against his whiskers. "i just need a little time to adjust. Not everyone moves as fast as you."

"It's okay. You'll say yes," he said as he put his head down on the pillow next to hers. His hand slid down to the slight curve of her hip and she turned onto her side facing him. "You're in love with me," he finished with a grin.

She pulled back and gave him a dirty look. "Please. I am not."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "You are."

"God, you are so full of yourself. I am not _in love_ with you," she said, a grin growing on her face. "I'm...I'm invested," she said, using the word again.

"Fine," he replied, closing his eyes as he pulled her into his arms and yawned. "I'm invested back."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?" Sarah asked, her brows drawing together. "You look kind of blue." Andy looked down. She'd been sitting in the ice bath for maybe ten minutes, and her teeth were almost chattering. She reached out and Sarah grabbed her hand and pulled her up. She'd climbed in wearing her clothing and water rushed down her legs. Quickly, she started pulling the sodden articles from her body. Sarah turned around and grabbed a towel, holding it up in front of her and Andy stepped into it gratefully.<p>

"It seems stupid, I know," Andy said. "But it's supposed to help your muscles recover faster."

"Does it work?"

"Sometimes." She rubbed her arms and then her legs, trying to bring the blood back. "So, how often do you get to see Jake? Does his mom always make it so hard?"

Sarah shook her head. "No. They have a schedule all worked out and usually they stick to it, but they had something this weekend." She walked out of the bathroom, Andy following with her wrung out shorts and tank top in hand. "He used to only come out one or two weekends a month, but for the last five years or so, since he started school, I guess, we get him one weekend a month, most of Christmas break, all of March break, and half the summer."

"Is that pretty standard?"

Shrugging, Sarah held open the door to the porch and Andy walked through. "It's what works for us. Our schedules are a little looser at those times, and we'd rather have him when we can spend time together. Sometimes, we have to figure out something special, but everything usually works out." They walked outside. "If we're headed that direction we stop; if they come this way, they stop."

"And everyone gets along?" Andy asked, suspiciously as she hung her wet clothing over the deck railing and then walked back towards the porch to dress.

"For the most part," Sarah answered with a tight smile.

"What?"

Sarah shook her head. "This is one of those situations where I have to keep my mouth shut, whether I like it or not. Just wears me out," she said with a laugh. Then she glanced over towards the water and waved Andy up to the railing. "Look."

Sam was walking out to the end of the dock to join the other boys and he took a step back as the twins rushed past him and then another, his heel hanging off the edge as Jake went after them. Cooper reached out and grabbed his arm, steadying him, and Sarah rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, he's no fun at all."

* * *

><p>The yard was finished quickly. The men had done most of the set up, and all the heavy lifting. After her soak, Andy helped Sarah tape plastic table cloths over all the tables and Sam and Cooper finished stringing lights between the trees and the house. After all the chairs were slid in, and the lights were checked, and the firepit was stocked with a fresh pile of wood, and the grills were cleaned and readied, Andy decided that it was time to finally shower off the sweat and take a nap. As she mentioned it to Sam, he looked at her gratefully and nodded. He was looking almost as tired as she felt. She went up first.<p>

When Andy stepped out of the shower, she squeezed the water from her hair and then quickly dried off. She wrapped the towel around her head and then stepped into a fresh set of shorts and a racer back tank top. She quickly combed out her hair and then opened the door. As she stepped out, Sam levered himself off the wall, pressed a kiss to her mouth and said, "I'll only be a few minutes," before he walked in and shut the door behind him. Andy walked back out to the porch, enjoying the feel of the breeze through the screen as it hit her damp legs. She carried her towel with her and she opened the door between the porch and the deck and walked out to stand next to Sarah. Jake was standing on the other side of her, his arms wrapped tight around her waist. Her hand was on his head, stroking over his hair slowly, but her eyes were on the yard.

After hanging the towel over the railing, Andy leaned her elbows onto it. She looked left, past Sarah and down to where Cooper was trying to round up Ryan and Brady. They were running around one of the tables and as Cooper walked past he bent down and stretched out a long arm, grabbing Ryan by the back of his overalls and picked him up. He shifted him around in his hands until Ryan was facing him, face alight with joy. Cooper grinned at him and tossed him up in the air, catching him easily in his hands. Ryan squealed as Cooper swung him down and then threw him up again. He set him on the ground and then turned to Brady who was pulling at his pant leg and gave him a turn. Andy heard a noise come from Sarah and she glanced at her quickly, and then away. And then looked at her once more; a long look this time.

Jake next to her, Sarah was leaning over the railing and it was one of those rare times when her guard was totally down; she wasn't thinking of the work ahead of her, or the people around her or really much of anything at all. She was just watching Cooper with the boys. Her eyes were bright, almost shining and her smile was wide, dimples popping like they'd never go away. The noise she'd heard was a breathy laugh, a short one. But the look on Sarah's face as she looked at her husband playing with the children was heart-wrenching. Andy straightened, and at the movement, Sarah turned her head. She reined herself in and gave Andy a shadow of the smile she'd just displayed and turned away toward Jake. She bent down and whispered in his ear and he grinned up at her and took off down the stairs and down the hill, hitting Cooper with a running leap. Cooper swung him up and then looked up at Sarah.

"I think I'll take them out for a while," he said tilting his head toward the lake.

"Sounds good." Sarah turned to look at Andy. "If you need something, I'll be cleaning my stuff out of the back room. Enjoy your nap." She walked in and Andy turned back to the lake. Cooper grabbed the twins by the backs of their overalls while Jake ran next to him, and he carried them down to the dock where he stood them on their feet. He climbed into the row boat and handed his son a life jacket. Andy watched from a distance as, one at a time, he lifted each of them and then set them in the boat with him. As Cooper settled in next to Jake, he put his hand on his head and beamed down at him. He and Jake each took an oar and as he pushed the boat away from the dock, the twins giggled, the sound echoing around the water.

Andy heard the screen door squeak as it opened and then slap shut as Sam walked out behind her.

"Where'd everyone go?" he asked as he bent down to brush his lips against her shoulder.

"Cooper's got the boys and Sarah's cleaning out Jake's room," Andy said as she turned around.

Sam narrowed his eyes at her. "So you're saying that everyone is busy, and we're already on our way to bed."

Andy smirked. "Looks like."

"So, you're saying that we could just go in there and lay down and if someone happens to misplace their clothes, it wouldn't be any big deal."

She shook her head. "They're not going to be gone forever. I give those boys ten minutes tops before they get bored."

He ran his eyes over her, lingering on her legs and her breasts loose under her tank top. "I can be quick," he said with a grin.

"Oh believe me; I know," she said laughing.

He reached out and gripped her hips, fingers sliding over her as he stepped in close. "I've never heard _you_ complain," he said and then lowered his voice. "Don't worry," he whispered, laughing against her neck as her arms crept over his shoulders. "I'll get the job done."

She grinned and raised her eyebrows. "It's not soundproof, you know. The walls are practically open."

He laughed and hooked a finger in the waistband of her shorts and pulled her through the door. "Then I guess you'll have to keep it down this time."

* * *

><p>They fell back onto the bed and tore at their clothes. An expectant giggle bubbled up out of Andy as she pulled him down on top of her and he grinned at the sound. As their hands traced familiar planes and contours, Sam revelled in the idea that no matter the situation or setting, they could have this...understanding between them. It was an ease, a naturalness. He knew her face, her touch and without question or reservation she accepted everything he gave to her, from the pressure of his hand on her, to the heat of his breath against her neck, to the hushed words pouring out of him. His movements slowed and after some time, she writhed under his hands. A moan was ripped from her lips and suddenly the knowledge of where they were came crashing back and he clappped a hand over her mouth and they both exploded into laughter.<p>

"Shhhh," he said, holding a finger up to his smile. He pulled his hand away and let his lips linger on hers. "There's nothing funny about this, McNally," he said sternly as he sat up.

"Oh, no. Not at all." Her eyes teased and he knelt between her legs, hands gripping and lifting her hips.

"This is serious business." His grin was wide as his eyes played over her.

"Of course." She was aiming for deadpan, but as he entered her he saw her eyelids sink, saw the solemnity replaced by pleasure. Her hands reached for him and her breathing became ragged, unrestrained. In between thrusts, he leaned over her.

"Remember how you were supposed to be quiet," he reminded, showing her his dimples.

She laughed low in her throat and then the sound evolved into something less playful and more primal. As the cry rose from her, he shifted positions and pressed her down into the mattress, stealing the sound from her mouth as he laid his lips across hers. He wasn't long behind her and had to press his face against her hair, into the pillow to stifle his own moan. Afterwards they both lay there, hands stroking over each other. Very serious business indeed.

The blood was still roaring in his ears as her hands moved over his neck and shoulder, taking the shape of him, and he enjoyed the simple intimacy of flesh sliding against flesh. He rolled onto his back and pulled her up on top of him so he could look at her. She bent to him, and there was an almost devastating slide of lips and then she pulled back.

"Sarah and Cooper laugh a lot, don't they?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You're thinking about them right now?"

Her teeth flashed and she shook her head. "No, I'm thinking about us. But they do, right?"

He looked at her, a little puzzled. "Yeah, I guess. Why?"

She shrugged. "I just think we're lucky. Not everyone has that. It's the best part."

"_That's_ the best part? Why did I just wear myself out then?" She gave him a little pinch and he winced and then yawned. He pressed his nose against her hair once and then set his head back on the pillow.

Her arms were crossed over his chest and she rested her chin on top of them. One of her legs was lying between his, and his hands were flat against her ribs, his arms around her torso, holding her solidly in place. She traced a finger through the hair on his chest and looked at him, a tiny smile on her face. His eyes were closed, and he was doing a very good job of acting like he had every intention of sleeping there with her on top of him.

"Why didn't Sarah and Cooper have more kids?" Andy asked quietly. Sam kept his eyes closed and made a face.

"You'd have to ask them," he said sleepily. She lazily traced a circle around his nipple and then up to his shoulder, outlining the muscle.

"Seriously."

He opened his eyes into slits and looked at her. "Why are you asking?"

She shrugged. "They just seem like they're good at it. At being parents."

Sam nodded. "They are." He ran his hands up her back to her shoulders and she smiled to herself as she felt warmth pass up her body in two long swaths.

"So?"

"I think when they first got married, they wanted to wait. And then a few years ago, Sarah said something about trying, but nothing ever came of it. I think they've pretty much given up on the idea."

She adjusted herself and her elbows dug into his chest and he winced and turned her over onto her side. He turned next to her, bending his arm under his head, and he put his hand on her waist, fingers flexing and unflexing against her skin. He closed his eyes again and for a second, Andy stared at him. She leaned up on an elbow and propped her head up in her hand. She lifted her arm and rubbed a piece of his hair between her fingers; it was soft, almost silky.

His hand moved from her waist and closed over her wrist and his eyes opened. "Not that I don't enjoy the attention, but if you want to sleep at all before this thing tonight, we should at least try." Andy had a strange look on her face, not quite sad, but thoughtful, empathetic, and he put his hand on her arm and moved it up to her shoulder, smoothing his thumb over the skin under her collarbone. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes met his. "Why did they wait?"

He leaned up on his elbow and exhaled, thinking about it. "It's hard to say. She hasn't talked to you about any of this?" Andy shook her head. He thought about it for a moment. "I guess I'm not sure if Sarah ever planned on having kids. Or maybe she wanted to make sure she'd be good at it before she committed herself," he said with a laugh. "She's not exactly the domestic type. Or at least she wasn't. Between the two of them, I'm still a little surprised they even got married."

"She didn't want to get married? That's kind of hard to believe," Andy said. Sam pulled her hair over her shoulder, letting it fall in front and he brought a section up, holding it to his nose. He breathed deeply and Andy saw his eyes smolder a little and a faint flicker of arousal pass over his face. She narrowed her eyes and snatched her hair away, tossing it back over her shoulder. "I'm trying to talk to you here."

He blew out a breath. "Fine. Killjoy." She grinned and then, relenting a little, tangled her legs with his, rubbing the top of her foot against his shin. "It wasn't just her. Sarah said that Cooper's parents had an awful marriage, and an even uglier divorce. He's the youngest, and he was the only one left at home at the time. She never really told me much, but I get the feeling that it was really hard for him. So I guess it makes sense that he was a little gun shy." His hand stroked over her back. "And Sarah? She's always had this really cold view of marriage. I never thought she'd agree to marry anyone."

"But she did."

He nodded. "Kit's husband was hit head on by a drunk driver one night, coming home from work, and when he died, everyone's priorities shifted a little. Cooper changed his mind, and Sarah...she'd do anything for him. But when Cooper and Sarah got married, they made the decision and signed the papers all in the same week."

"Fast," Andy said, frowning a little.

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, well, Sarah's not really a white dress and roses kind of girl. She didn't need a lot of time. I came down the night before and left afterwards."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>They'd all sat up drinking in celebration of the coming nuptuals. Sam and Sarah were trying once more to teach Cooper to bluff. He was getting better, but he was absolutely no challenge for either of them. Eventually, he'd bowed out and Sam and Sarah had gone head to head in a loudly fought game of gin rummy. The beer had quickly disappeared from the refrigerator and it was after one by the time they wove into the living room. The television was on to a sports program and playbacks of the night's hockey games were being run. Sarah was curled up on her side on the sofa, Sam was stretched out in the recliner and Cooper had long since gone back to the bedroom. They were planning on getting up, going in to school and then running over to the courthouse during their free hours at the end of the day. Sam and Kit were going to meet them to witness.<p>

"So, why are you guys not having a regular wedding?" he asked, only mildly curious.

Sarah kept her eyes on the television. "Because it's just a piece of paper. No need to go into debt over it."

"You could have a small wedding. You wouldn't have to overdo it."

"There's no one else I really want there, so why not just do it?" She shrugged.

He looked at her, concerned. "Do you even _want_ to marry him?" She didn't answer right away. "Sarah?"

She looked at him then, pushed herself up onto the arm of the couch. "I want to," she said carefully. "But I'm having trouble seeing the point of the whole thing."

"To be together forever?" Sam suggested.

She looked at him like he'd sprouted wings. "I can't believe that just came out of your mouth."

"Me either," he said, looking just as surprised.

"It's just so..." she searched for the word as she looked at him. "Optimistic. God."

"Shut up."

She shook her head. "Anyway, what I was saying before you completely weirded me out, was that it's just a piece of paper. It's not going to change the way things work with us. We're going to live in this house, and wake up together, and drive to work together, and come home and eat and sleep together. The same as we do now." She sounded rational, clinical. "We've done it for almost two years. Nothing's going to change."

They sat there and watched the television, watched the players struggle over the puck. "Do you think it'll make things better?" Sam asked.

She looked at him, amused. "Better than what? Things are great with us."

He shrugged. "Isn't that what's supposed to happen? The relationship gets better?"

She shook her head. "I think that sometimes people think getting married is going to make them more faithful or more in love, but really, you either are, or you're not. It doesn't hold people together any better than a promise."

"Maybe they think it'll make them stronger," Sam said and again, she gave him that bewildered look.

"Seriously, what planet are you on tonight? Remember when you were cynical and fun, like me?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea." He rubbed his hands over his face. "I think I drank too much."

"That's ridiculous anyway," Sarah was saying when he looked back at her. "Why would you legally bind yourself to someone unless your relationship is already strong?

Sam leaned back in the chair. "Fine. I'm convinced. Why are you doing it, if you're so dead set against it?"

She got quiet for a long moment and then looked around the room. "Honestly, I'd be fine in this crappy house, tripping over each other, living this way forever." She looked over at him. "But, he wants it, and he's never wanted it before. Even though he'll deny it, he believes in all of that stuff, to have and to hold, for better or worse. One person for the rest of his life," she said quietly and smiled. "And he picked me to be his one person." She turned at looked at him again, face cracking into a huge grin. "And I love him. So if it really _is_ what I've been saying, if it's just as simple as a signature on a piece of paper, how could I ever say no?"

Sam lifted his head. "What do you think about that?" he asked Cooper, nodding his head at him. Sarah's head snapped around and she glared at him for sneaking up and eavesdropping on their conversation.

Cooper grinned at Sam. "She's full of shit. Two days ago, she was going on and on about caterers and swans. I swear, it took hours to talk her into the courthouse." Sarah stretched out an arm and shoved at his stomach, sending him back a step. He reached out and snatched her hand.

"Seriously," Sam said. "Doesn't it bother you?'

Cooper shook his head. "I don't care why she marries me, as long as she does." He shrugged and looked down at Sarah. "Are you coming to bed? We have to get up in like five hours." Sarah grinned and stood up on the couch and put her arms around him as he lifted her over the back and set her on the floor. She leaned around the back of the recliner and ruffled Sam's hair.

"We'll be quiet in the morning. I'll see you downtown at two."

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Andy stared at Sam. "But she doesn't feel that way now."<p>

He shook his head. "She might; she might not. She's right though. Marriage by itself doesn't make a relationship stronger. Time does. They'd probably be in exactly the same place even if they'd never gotten married. But marriage looks good on both of them."

Andy nodded. "It does." She put her head on the pillow and he leaned over, tipping her chin up so he could kiss her. "So how do you feel about it?" she asked in between kisses.

He paused, his mouth on hers and looked at her, feeling like the situation had suddenly taken a very strange turn. He pulled away. "I think that's a conversation for another day." She nodded and he stroked his thumb across her jaw. He closed his eyes and took a few breaths and then they popped open. "Why? How do _you_ feel about it?"

She smirked. "I think that's a conversation for another day." She pushed herself up and leaned over and settled her mouth over his. She laughed as he put an arm around her and upset her balance, tipping her over on top of him. "And who knows?" she said, kissing the corner of his jaw near his ear. "There might be little Swarek babies running around this yard yet."

He froze, his hands stilling and his eyes snapped open and stared at her. Neither of them moved for a moment. "Do you hear that silence?" he asked. "That's the sound of my heart stopping." He pushed her off him, and she laughed, reaching for him again.

"I was talking about Sarah," she said, grinning at him when he pushed her hands down, holding her wrists in one hand against her chest. "I swear. I'm sorry."

"You should be." He turned over on his side, presenting his back to her.

"Come on." She rubbed her hands up and down his back. Then she ran an arm around his waist and slid her hand down his stomach, laughing when he grabbed it.

"If you think that any of my parts are going near any of your parts after that baby comment, guess again," he said with a laugh.

She pushed herself up and pulled at his shoulder until he flipped over onto his back. And then she laid down, folding her arms back across his chest, and she rested her head on them as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. "See," she said with a grin. "No parts involved." His eyes closed. "Chicken."

She gave him a wide smile as he opened one eye. "Give me an hour's sleep and I'll show you how scared I am," he said.

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><p>.<p>

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><p><strong>I'm praying that the next chapter will be the last, at least for this sequel. I'm trying not to spend too much time on The Witness while I'm writing this but, somehow, it still manages to steal a large amount of my time. So cross your fingers that it won't be too long of a wait for Chapter 1. :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: This is the last chapter in this sequel. And I'm not completely thrilled with it, as it's relatively plot-free, but there's a certain amount of fluff and McSwarek all over the place. Hopefully enough to satisfy. Anyway, I've been holding onto it for a long time now, and I'm just glad to give it to you guys. **

**Special thank you to...Cocobean2206, icewitch73, happyheart65, and rookiebluefan89 for words of encouragement and to everyone who reviewed for their whole-hearted enthusiasm for this story. I know it's not what everyone's used to on this site.**

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><p>Someone was knocking. Andy recognized the noise through the thick cloud of sleep protecting her from the rest of the world. She thought maybe if she ignored it, it would eventually go away. But then it came again, louder this time. She blinked her eyes, opened one and found herself staring at Sam's neck. He was on his back, and she had an arm and a leg thrown over him; the blanket was tossed over the two as an afterthought, and when Andy felt a cool breeze blow up her leg, she realized it wasn't covering nearly as much as it should be. She pulled her legs up under the blanket and turned over onto her front and raised her head. Standing at the entrance to the room was Sarah. She was looking at Andy with an amused expression on her face and Andy did a quick mental inventory as she made sure that all of her parts were covered.<p>

"I just wanted to let you know that people are starting to show up. So, you two should probably get dressed before they start peeking in through the screen." She turned around and disappeared, but Andy's ears were picking up new sounds. Conversation on the lawn, Kit's twins yelling back and forth to each other, even the sounds of dishes clattering together in the kitchen. She closed her eyes, feeling much more tired than she had when she'd first climbed into bed. Then she opened her eyes again, finally realizing how late they'd slept.

They'd probably fallen into bed a little after one, but between the sex and the talking and finally falling to sleep, they'd spent most of the afternoon there. She lifted her wrist up and tried to focus her eyes on the tiny watch hands. After six. She leaned over and kissed Sam, feeling his mouth come to life under hers, and when she pulled away, his eyes opened.

"Feel free to wake me up like that anytime," he said quietly, pulling her back down. She let him hold her to him one more moment and then put a hand on his chest.

"It's about to get very crowded here. We need to get dressed." Sam paused and Andy took the opportunity to sit up, pulling the blanket around her shoulders.

He snatched it back as it exposed him to the air and to the windows and Andy laughed, wrenching it away. He gave her a look. It was becoming her favorite expression; the one that said he could have her flat on her back in a matter of seconds if he wanted. And from the quick glimpse she'd gotten of his body before she turned away, it wouldn't surprise her if he did. She quickly pulled on her clothing; underwear, shorts, a blue and white striped top with a wide neck that exposed just a tiny bit of shoulder. After she was finished, she turned to Sam who'd been lying back on the bed, shamelessly watching her. She climbed back in and kissed him one more time.

"If you don't get dressed, you can't eat. And I guarantee you're going to need your strength tonight," Andy whispered as his hands ran up under her shirt and pressed against her back. He made a noise low in his throat and pressed a kiss to that place he loved, where her neck met her shoulder and ran his teeth over it once, just to make her shiver. Then he dumped her off his lap onto the bed. He got up and pulled on his clothing, laughing to himself as he watched her struggled to right herself in the pile of blankets. She finally sat up, and glared at him as she finger-combed her hair into place and when he held out his hand, she let him pull her onto her feet.

Sam walked out on to the deck, intent on finding himself something to snack on before the party really got started and Andy walked back into the kitchen, reaching down to rub her thighs, almost unbearably tight from her run. Sarah wasn't in the kitchen when she entered, and she moved through the house, finally finding her in Jake's room. Andy knocked on the door frame and Sarah smiled at her.

"I'm just finishing up. I got interrupted," she said, moving her eyes away to the wall. Andy wandered in and stood next to her and raised her eyebrows.

"What's all this?" The room looked like a typical boy's room, except that it was spotless. The walls were covered in a very light tan, with fresh bedding in blues and greens, made up neatly. There was a dresser and a closet, and a bookshelf, all stuffed to the point of bursting. There was an old wooden crate in the corner filled with a random amalgamation of athletic equipment and toys he hadn't yet outgrown. Brightly colored posters were stuck up on the closet door and on the wall over the bed. And in a frame on the bedside table was a small picture of the three of them, sitting on the edge of the dock, feet hanging over the edge in the water. Jake's overnight bag sat up near his pillow. Sarah fell back, sitting on the edge of the bed as her eyes continued to move over the wall. Andy sunk down next to her.

The opposite wall was neatly covered in black and whites from the half marathon. Arranged in a very specific order. While she watched, Sarah got up and interchanged two photographs and then sat back down.

"I emailed some of these to this publisher friend of mine, and they said I should put something together; maybe do a sort of "Women in Motion" thing."

"You mean I could be in a book?" Andy asked as her eyebrows rose.

"Well, not just you," Sarah laughed. "I just can't get the order right. I've been working on it for weeks." She looked around guiltily. "I don't usually just take over his room. This was just the only free wall in the house."

Andy shrugged. "He doesn't really seem like an indoors sort of kid anyway. He probably doesn't care."

"Not really." She took one last long look and then stood up. "Well, ready to party?" She raised her brows and widened her eyes in mock excitement and Andy laughed as she stood up and followed her out of the room.

They were halfway through the living room when the three boys burst in through the porch door, soaking wet, dripping water as they scampered and slid across the hardwood floor. Kit was following them at a hurried walk, calling after them to be careful.

As she spotted Sarah and Andy, she slowed. "Cooper threw Jake off the dock, and my kids jumped in after him, trying to drown themselves. Obviously future brain surgeons." The bedroom door slammed shut and Kit rolled her eyes. "Sorry." She looked at Andy and then at Sarah. "New girlfriend?"

"Andy McNally," Sarah said as she walked back to the bedroom and knocked on the door. "You three better not be making a mess in there."

Kit's lips curved into a smile. "McNally, huh? Should have known when Sam started bringing up that name that he wasn't talking about some _guy_ he worked with." Andy's cheeks burned a little and she opened her mouth to reply but heard Sarah calling.

"Uh Kit, you want to help me out here?" Sarah asked as she swung the bedroom door open. The boys all had Cheshire cat grins on their faces, were still dripping wet and sitting on the bed, where their feet hung off the side, little puddles were forming as water dripped down their legs. "We'll see you outside, Andy."

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><p>Andy found Sam and Cooper manning the grills as people started making their way from the driveway down the hill and over to the patio. There were maybe a dozen or so people already gathered at the tables, a few down near the water, and a few more standing on the lawn, keeping their eyes on their children.<p>

"How many people are you expecting?" Andy asked as she pulled a beer out of a cooler.

Cooper turned to look at her as he flipped over pieces of chicken. "I have no clue. But it's not like Sarah could just invite a _few _people from work." Andy raised her eyebrows. "Okay, she would, but I made her invite everyone. This could be it. Who knows?" She walked between the two grills and sat up on the top course of the short retaining wall.

Sam nodded to her and she grabbed the plate in front of her and passed it to him as he started taking burgers off. "When are you thinking about starting that new room?" he asked Cooper.

He shrugged. "Probably in the next month or so. Sarah's got the plans all drawn up, she just has to show them to someone and then we can get started. I just want it finished before it gets cold. If we could do it as fast as the deck, I wouldn't worry about it, but I've never done something like this before."

"You're adding on to the house?" Andy asked in surprise. "Why?"

He smiled. "We need the space. And we've been doing work on this place since we moved in. This is just next on the list."

"What else have you done?"

He nodded once at her. "That wall you're sitting on. The patio. The deck. We built a new garage the month after we moved in."

"So, this was a completely different place before you guys bought it."

He considered it as he started loading up the grill again and Sam started carrying food over to the table. "Not really. Most of it's been outside stuff. This is going to be the first major renovation."

"I kind of wish I'd seen what it looked like before you'd done all the work on it," Andy said offhand. After spending as much time as she had there, she couldn't even imagine it without the additions.

"It didn't really look like much," Cooper said as he looked at her. His eyes were on her, but she had the distinct impression that he wasn't looking at her so much as in her general direction as he remembered. "The first time I saw it, I honestly wasn't that impressed. Although, to be fair, I was in a pretty bad mood that night."

"What happened?" Andy asked and then grinned as she saw Sam walk up and roll his eyes as he heard her question. He gave her a short wave and walked around, finally joining a group of people at the other end of the yard.

Cooper turned away from the food and snagged his own bottle of beer and sank down next to her. "I can't remember when it was. Sometime during that first winter. Maybe March. We'd been together…maybe six months? Anyway, I'd just gotten done spending the day helping my mom and her husband with something. And we don't…I guess we just don't get along that well. She has this way of sucking the life out of you." He shook his head thinking about it. "Anyway, I was stressed and exhausted and I wasn't in the mood to deal with any more problems that day." He tilted the bottle to his mouth and glanced over as more people filtered down the hill, Sarah and Kit and their kids included. "And Sarah…she just has this way of knowing when you're at the breaking point, you know? It's like a super power."

Andy snorted. "Yep. I've seen it in action."

"Well, this time, she wasn't even trying, but she pushed me there just the same and I yelled at her."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "She said you don't yell."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't yell like they do." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder at Sam and Sarah standing next to the food table, and little snatches of bickering floated over on the wind. Andy smirked. "But I lose it, sometimes. Just like everyone else," he finished.

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Cooper walked up the four steps to the back door of the house. A loud deep bass was pounding through the walls. He opened the screen door and then the storm door and cringed. To get through the entry way, he had to step over the pile of shoes haphazardly lined up against the wall. He tossed his coat into the closet and turned to go through the kitchen.<p>

The music was still loud, and he felt the tiny niggling feeling he'd developed over the last hour expand until it blossomed into a full-on, throbbing headache. The kitchen was trashed. Dishes were stacked in the sink; the garbage hadn't been taken out. It wasn't her job, but since she didn't have anywhere to be that day, Sarah had promised to have the place semi-clean by the time he got back. She hadn't followed through. He exited on the other side and stopped in his tracks.

She was sitting between the counter sticking out from the wall and the dining room table; perched on a stool in front of her easel. Her paints and brushes were lined up neatly on the counter at her ready. She hadn't changed out of her pajamas. He glanced at the clock. 7:14 pm. Her hair was held up in a knot by a paint-covered pencil and the rest of her didn't look any cleaner. As he approached her, he put his hand on her shoulder and she jumped, sending a spatter of paint across the canvas and onto the wall. He raised his eyebrows at her and pointed and she gave him a sheepish smile and moved to grab a rag to clean it up. As she swiveled on the stool, her elbow hit the drinking glass full of muddy rinse water and it toppled, sending a deluge of gritty, brownish-purple water over the surface of the table and over the edge. Cooper looked down as his shoes and the carpet were instantly soaked and stained. And as he stepped away, he looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath, shaking his head slowly. And then he noticed that a stack of his students' research papers were also drenched. He snatched them out of the water and shook them over the table, glaring at her as he pulled his shoes off with the other hand.

"Goddamn it, Sarah! Why can't you just do this shit in the other room? Wasn't that the whole point of getting a three bedroom?" He walked to the kitchen and started peeling them apart, right away noticing the ink running on several pages. He began laying them out flat, trying not to rip them as they stuck together. He glanced up at her and saw the expression on her face and his hands stilled. Outright shock. She didn't look hurt, or insulted. Just surprised. Over the course of their short relationship, she'd had her share of crabby days, and he'd heard her rail multiple times over the small-mindedness of some of the other faculty, at her car, at a variety of tiny insignificant things that normally wouldn't matter. But he'd barely ever raised his voice, and so this time he'd caught her off guard.

And then, as they stared at each other, the corner of Sarah's mouth began to turn up and she tried to suppress it. She knew this was not a funny moment, but as inappropriate as it was, she felt the laugh erupt out of her. She grabbed a hand towel off the counter and put it on the floor, stepping on it to soak up the water.

Cooper turned away, still feeling the anger seeping out of him. Sarah grabbed another towel and wiped up the mess on the table. And then she walked to the closet put on her shoes and grabbed her coat. "Where do you think you're going?" he snarled.

She turned back to him and threw him his coat. "Let's take a drive."

"I'm not going anywhere. I've been gone all day." He tossed it back to her and stalked back to the dining room. He pulled a paper towel off the roll, sat on her stool and started scrubbing at the paint on the wall. He was just making it worse, turning it into a large pink smear. "Shit," he muttered under his breath.

Sarah walked up behind him. "We can just paint over it. Don't worry about it."

He glared over his shoulder at her. "Are we going to re-carpet too?" He picked up the towel and she grimaced as she saw the huge brown stain. He shook his head and turned back to the wall.

She put her hands on his shoulders and dug her thumbs in at the base of his neck. After a few seconds, his arms fell to his sides and he leaned his head back against her chest and took a few deep breaths. And then his hands slid up to cover hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned around, pressing her mouth to his cheek. "Let's take a drive," she repeated.

He folded himself into the passenger seat of her hatchback, pushing the seat all the way back to fit his legs and she drove out of the parking lot and then out of the city. When she pulled the car off the gravel road and up into the driveway, it was getting dark out, and he had no idea why they were there. The place was completely dark. Snow covered everything, the roofs of the buildings; it sat heavy on the tree branches. The windows weren't touched with a single bit of light; there were no other vehicles visible. He looked at her.

"I don't get it."

She shrugged. "I come out here sometimes. It always makes me feel better."

"You're going to have to help me out." He leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes, still feeling the vise around his head. When she didn't speak, he turned and looked at her.

She narrowed her eyes. "You need an attitude adjustment."

"Thanks, Mom," he said rolling his eyes. "What I really need is our security deposit back."

"I'm trying to share something with you here, and you're acting like a baby. I'll pay for the damn carpet. Just shut up a second."

He crossed his arms and looked at her, waiting.

She turned off the radio and left the lights on, shining on the yard. "Okay. It doesn't really look like much right now, but just picture this with me." She pointed to the right. "See these trees? In the spring, these trees are all flowering. You can smell them from anywhere in the yard. Even down by the lake, which is right back there." She leaned over him pointed between the trees and the house. "It's not very big, but there are maybe half a dozen properties around it. And I want to put a deck on the house. It's going to start on that far corner, and wrap around the front of the house and overlook the water." She hooked a thumb out her window. "Over there, I'm going to tear down that little building and build a studio. A good sized one, with lots of storage, and a cement floor. No carpet," she said winking at him. He rolled his eyes, but felt his mouth twitch.

"And there," she said, pointing at a one-car garage in desperate need of repair. "There we'll build a bigger garage. A three-stall maybe, with a storage room on the end. So that way, you'll have a place to work on the cars, and we can put our patio furniture, and our grill and inner tubes, and the rest of the summer stuff in there when it gets cold out." She continued talking, not even really noticing the change in pronouns. "The shed over on the other end of the property needs to be replaced too. The roof is about to cave in, but we could just tear it out. We might not need it." When she'd started, the plans had been hers. But as she continued, suddenly, the plans were theirs. She wanted _them_ to build a patio down by the basement. She wanted _them_ to buy a new dock, one of those that are shaped like an L.

She was still talking, going on about tulips, and hydrangeas and he stared at her, barely hearing a word. Her hair was still pulled back from her face and he could see her eyes, the animated sparkle that they had taken on as she leaned over the dash and pointed towards a flat patch of snow covered lawn. She glanced at him, mid-sentence and then, seeing the look on his face, paused.

"What?"

"How long have you been thinking about this?"

She shrugged. "I've been coming out here for years. Maybe once a week; whenever I have a little extra time. Sometimes I go inside and visit, but usually I just sit here for a few minutes. I know the owner. She's going to retire in a few years, and move out to California with her sister, and then…" She raised her eyebrows at him, and even though she didn't say anything, he felt the implication heavy in the air around them. _And then it was theirs._

"How come you never told me about this? That you come out here."

She shrugged and her eyes went to the window again, creating a little buffer, a little distance between them. "I never told anyone. It was just for me. But…" Her eyes flicked to his, just once, just for an instant and then were out on the property again. He reached over and turned her face toward him.

"But not anymore?" he asked with a small smile.

She looked over at him pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as her hand reached out and she traced the tips of her fingers along the line of his jaw. When her eyes lifted slightly to meet his, she gave him a little half-smile. "Not anymore."

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Andy was leaned back in the grass, listening to Cooper's voice as it rose and fell, the timbre low and soothing. And then he trailed off and she pushed herself up and looked at him. He was once again loading food onto the plate, but his eyes were following his wife across the lawn as she greeted people, even hugging a few. She never stood too close, even though she was smiling graciously, she held herself back. There was a distance between her and most of them that was visible, even from where Andy sat. The look on her face was pleasant, but her body language spoke volumes, and the way she reached up to drag the curls out of her face, letting her fingers linger on the ends, the way she tilted her body slightly away from whomever she was speaking to, told Andy that Sam and Cooper had been right. She really didn't care for events like this; she was uncomfortable.<p>

"With some people, especially with Sarah, it's like inside them, they have this small fragile bubble that holds all the little things that make them _them_. And the harder you try to get to it, to figure out what's inside, the more they try to protect it." He smiled to himself and shrugged. "When we were sitting there, in the car, it was like she just broke it open, and let me see this secret part of her that she'd never shown anyone else. This place was one of the biggest dreams she ever had for herself. And then, it was her dream for _us_." Cooper gave her one last small smile and then walked away. He carried the plate to the table, and then stepped up to Sarah, putting his arm across her shoulders. Andy saw how at the sight of him, Sarah's smile grew a little wider, and she leaned against him, ever so slightly, letting him bolster her for the next barrage of guests.

Someone turned on the music and the speakers mounted around the patio came to life. Andy walked towards the table with the food on it and started loading up a plate. She sat down across from Sam who had Jake planted at his side, and was plowing through his second plate of food. She raised her eyebrows.

"Don't look at me like that," he said with a laugh. "The kid's on his third hot dog." Andy looked over and saw that Jake's face was smeared with grease and ketchup. She held out a napkin and he took it, unsuccessfully wiping at his face.

And then he grinned up at her. "You're a lot prettier than Sam's last girlfriend." Andy's eyes jumped to Sam's.

He laughed. "I swear I didn't tell him to say that."

"Yeah, you did." Jake put a spoonful of pasta salad in his mouth as Andy raised her eyebrows. "And you said that someday you want to-" Sam clapped a hand over his mouth and leaned down to whisper in his ear as Andy smirked at him. Jake was watching her as Sam talked in his ear and then without another word, he got up and ran over to where Sarah and Cooper were standing.

"Someday you want to…?"

"The kid's losing it," Sam said. "He's been out in the sun too long." Andy glanced up at the large tree shading their half of the yard and rolled her eyes.

"Chicken."

Kit slid over, taking Jake's place. She shoved his plate out of the way and glanced at Sam. "You probably shouldn't tell your private thoughts to a ten-year old. Especially Cooper's ten-year old." She looked over at Andy. "Actually, no one in this family could keep a secret if you paid them." She tossed an olive into her mouth. Andy studied her as she chewed. She kept her hair a little longer these days, compared to the pictures she'd seen, and there were very faint laugh lines around her mouth and at the corners of her eyes. And she was still wearing her wedding ring, she noticed. "I thought you would have figured that out after the whole Amy Johnson conversation at Thanksgiving last year,"

"Shut up," Sam muttered into his beer bottle.

"Amy Johnson?" Andy asked after she swallowed a huge bite of burger.

Kit smiled over at Andy. "He hasn't told you about her?" As she shook her head in the negative, Kit chuckled. "My favorite Sam story of all time. When he was in high school, he took this girl behind the bleachers at this game and -"

"You weren't there, so you can't tell it," he said cutting her off.

"Baby." Kit picked up her plate and winked at Andy as she turned away.

"What's with all the name-calling today?" Sam asked, clearly irritated.

"What's with Amy Johnson?" Andy asked, laughing as he gave her a dirty look and took another bite of his burger.

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><p>By the time the party got into full swing, there were between forty and fifty people milling around the yard. And there were kids everywhere, ranging in age from infant to teenager. While the adults tended to stay on the patio, or gathered around the tables, the children were spread all over. Andy thought she saw some disappear into the backyard to hop on the tire swing hanging from the oak tree. A few of the older kids furtively ducked into the thicker parts of the vegetation; to do what, she didn't want to know. Andy had been introduced around by Sarah and Sam for most of the evening, but after a while, found herself perched alone back on the retaining wall, watching the action.<p>

Across the yard, Sam was locked into conversation with an older couple who lived down the road. Every now and then, he met her eyes and smiled, but didn't move away. Cooper was standing with a group of people from school, tipping beers with them, standing almost half a head taller than everyone else in the circle. And Sarah…

Andy scanned the crowd for Sarah and then thought she caught a glimpse of her, of her colorful skirt down by the water. She boosted herself off the blocks and made her way through the people, stopping at the cooler, and then down the path to where Sarah was sitting on the sand, her feet tucked under her. She paused a moment, seeing her there alone, her hair stirring in the light breeze and then lowered herself down next to her and handed her a bottle of water.

"Thanks," she said quietly. Andy pulled her knees up and looped her arms around them as she stared across the lake. Behind them, someone cranked the music up and Sarah cringed. "It's a good thing all our neighbors are here. Sound echoes like crazy across the water."

Behind them, there came a loud cry and Jake and another boy and a girl came rushing down the path and clattered onto the dock. They flew off the end and landed with a big splash. Sarah smirked as she took a sip of her water. "That's his third set of clothes today." The three treaded water, holding onto the dock and laughed as they played. "And the water is still a little cold. His mother will lose it if we send him back sick." But she didn't call him out of the water.

"I thought you said everything was fine with her."

"Oh, it is," Sarah insisted. "But we're trying to convince her to do something, and so we need all the bonus points we can get." Andy raised an eyebrow. "Cooper would really like Jake to come to St. Catharines for high school. We both would. It's still a few years off, but he's already trying to talk Alyssa into giving Jake the choice. She's resisting. Which makes sense," she admitted, keeping her eyes on Jake. "It wouldn't be easy for him to start over at a new school that late in the game. But we'd really like to have him here. And it would be good for him to have his dad around when he starts dating, and if he wants join any teams or clubs. His mom's schedule is a little inflexible. She can't always be there for games or concerts or plays."

"And it would be really nice for the baby to grow up with a full-time brother in the house," Andy said nonchalantly as she watched the kids splash and polished off her beer.

Sarah looked over at her curiously, and Andy fought to keep the smile off her face. "Why would you say that?"

Andy raised her eyebrows and turned to her. "Because I've been paying attention."

Sarah pulled her knees up. "You didn't say anything to Sam, did you?"

"Not really." At Sarah's quick glance, Andy clarified. "He has no clue."

"Good." Andy threw her a look of confusion and Sarah smoothed her skirt over her legs and tucked her hands around her ankles. "It's just very early, and I'm considered high-risk, because of my age. And we've had…" She paused and Andy looked at her as she stared down at her feet. "Well, I guess it was just bad luck. Once before we got married, and then a few years ago."

"Sam never said anything." Jake and his two friends quickly moved to the shore, pulling themselves along on the metal framework underneath the wood slats of the dock.

"He doesn't actually know. He might suspect, but…" Sarah shrugged. "At the time, neither of us could bring ourselves to tell him. And now? There doesn't seem to be much point. It would only make him feel bad." She dug her toes into the cold sand. "Cooper and I…we're not telling anyone yet. Not Kit, not Sam, definitely not Jake. We're trying not to get our hopes up." She looked pointedly at Andy.

"I won't say a word. I promise." Andy felt a slight chill as the breeze blew off the water. She rubbed her hands up and down her calves. "So, when are you due?"

"December." The kids stepped up onto the shore and lake water gushed out of their clothing until it was reduced into thin wet ribbons running down their legs. They ran back up the yard to the party and disappeared from sight.

"Merry Christmas, huh?" Andy laughed lightly.

Sarah gave her an enigmatic smile. "I guess we'll see."

They sat there together talking until the light faded. Behind them, the music dropped away and Andy turned her head as she heard people calling, gathering everyone together. Sarah and Andy stood and started walking back. The lights started to twinkle in the trees, over the tables, people were congregating over near the patio. Cooper was calling to people, waving them over and Andy followed Sarah.

As she started weaving through the crowd, she felt a strong arm wrap around her middle and start towing her backwards. She covered Sam's hand with her own, and her feet shifted into a reluctant reverse. "We're going to miss the speeches," she said with a laugh.

Sam's fingers flexed against her. "You've listened to those two talk enough. I want to be alone with you for a while." She held firm for a second and he bent down and his hot breath moved against her ear and she closed her eyes as a current ran through her. "C'mon, McNally. Let's go stargazing."

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, she found herself in the rowboat in the middle of the lake. Sam was flat on his back on the bench seat nearest the rear; she was stretched out on the middle one, her knees bent towards the sky. She had her arm bent under her head and she turned to look at Sam.<p>

"When you said 'stargazing,' I kind of thought you were talking about something else."

She saw his lips curl into a smile, but his eyes stayed on the darkening blue sky. "Yeah, well, that's because you're a pervert." He winced as her fist socked him hard in the shoulder. "Ow."

"Besides," she continued. "You can't even _see_ the stars."

"Give it time, McNally," he said, stretching out his arm. She reached over and his fingers closed around hers, and she stretched her legs out, hanging her feet in the water.

"I am a little impressed, by the way. Sarah kind of let me believe you were bad news in a boat," she teased.

"Yeah, well Sarah is full of shit. I think I've told you that before."

The color of the sky was deepening; above them, stars were starting to pop out one at a time. "So are you really not going to tell me what happened behind the bleachers with Amy Johnson?" she asked with a laugh.

He closed his eyes. "You seriously need to know? It's probably the most humiliating thing that happened to me in high school."

She laughed. "In that case, yeah; I think I seriously need to know."

He pulled his hand back and scrubbed it over his face once before putting both his hands behind his head. "Fine. Sarah told it to the table at Thanksgiving; she'd probably tell you anyway. At least this way it won't get corrupted with lies."

Andy pulled her feet out of the water and shifted on the bench, turning onto her side. The moon was three-quarters full and it shined silver in Sam's hair. She saw his lips shift into a quick easy grin and though he wasn't looking at her, she smiled back. "Okay, so I was fifteen, and Amy Johnson was seventeen."

"An older woman; nice."

He glanced at her. "Don't cheer me on here, okay? I'm uncomfortable enough. This scarred me for life. Or at least for the rest of the year," he amended, thinking it over.

Andy laughed. "Sorry. Go on."

"Anyway, _she_ dragged _me_ behind the bleachers during a game, and she wasn't the first girl I'd kissed, but it's not like I was a pro or anything. And I had a huge crush on her so I was nervous." Andy tried desperately to hold back her grin. "Anyway, during the break, my friends and I had loaded up on orange soda and nachos and just all the junk they could possibly sell at the concession stand. So she pulls me behind the bleachers and she kisses me, and I was thinking about copping a feel," his eyes slid to hers and she raised an eyebrow. "But apparently, I was thinking about it too much, and I got so nervous that I threw up all over her."

Andy felt the laughter explode out of her and she turned over on her back and let it come. In waves, it poured out of her until she was coughing and the tears were rolling down the sides of her face. And then she looked at Sam and saw the pained look on his face. "I'm sorry," she said. He rolled his eyes. "No, really. That's... It's just..." She bit her lip. "Really damn funny. I'm so sorry," she said laughing again. She sat up and looked at him.

He took a deep breath and shook his head and she leaned over and kissed him. He slid a hand to the back of her head and she knelt down in the boat next to his bench. When she pulled away, she smiled and leaned her head against his hip.

"Feel better now?"

"It would make me feel better," Sam said, "if _you_ told me _your_ most humiliating moment and then we'd be even."

She smirked. "That's not happening."

He shrugged, grinning, and put his hand on her head, running her hair between his fingers. "Just thought I'd put it out there."

It was a few minutes before either of them spoke.

"I can't wait until we get back to the city tomorrow," Sam said with a yawn.

Andy looked up at him in surprise. "Don't tell me you're homesick," she said with a laugh.

He shrugged. "I miss the noise." Andy thought about it. Around them, there was noise. She could hear the sounds from the party, voices skipping out over the water. She could hear the water gently lapping against the sides of the boat, hear the sounds of insects and the night animals as they started coming out. But it wasn't the normal sounds they were used to.

"The sirens," she said quietly.

He nodded. "Yeah. And the traffic."

"I was just thinking that the next time we come, we should stay longer. I wouldn't mind ending up in a place like this," she said thoughtfully as she turned around and pulled her knees up, her head resting back against Sam. The stars were really popping out now, hundreds, the way they only did outside of the city.

Sam stared up at the sky with her and considered it. "Maybe something right on the edge of town."

She grinned. "Who says you're invited?"

He laughed. "You'd never be able to live in a place like this by yourself. You'd go nuts with no one to talk to."

"Maybe I'll just move in here. There's going to be another room," she said smiling.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'd be crazy about that idea," he said sarcastically. "I think they already have plans for that room."

"Oh yeah?" she asked probingly. "Like what?"

He shook his head. "They didn't say, but probably more of Sarah's stuff."

"Probably," Andy said with a smirk. "Well, I really like the porch," she said, heading down a different route. "I could stay out there. At least until winter."

Sam looked at her and grinned, remembering the hours spent there over the last two days. "I like the porch too."

Andy took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she felt his hand settle on her shoulder, and his thumb press into the sweet spot alongside her spine. "What about you? What are your plans?"

"For what?"

"For the future," she said quietly. His hand moved up to her head, stroking down over her hair as he looked at the sky.

Sam was hesitating. "I'm not a big planner," he said finally.

Andy laughed quietly. "I'm not talking about the rest of your life. Just the next few years. Where do you see yourself?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. At work? Promoted, maybe, hopefully. With you?" His hand was still on her head and he moved it down over her cheek to her chin and gently he turned it so she was looking at him. Andy saw something flicker in his eyes. He opened his mouth and took a breath and then paused, thinking better of it before any words escaped. Finally, he said, "I guess I don't really care where we are as long as we're together." She held his eyes for a long moment as his thumb traced the line of her lip. "What about you?"

Andy took a deep breath, feeling a little fire in the pit of her stomach at his touch. Amazing how he could still do that to her. "Honestly, I'm not thinking much past the next five minutes right now," she said.

He looked down at her, interested. "And what's going to happen in the next five minutes?" he asked, a suggestive smile sliding its way onto his face.

She narrowed her eyes and smirked, and sat up, putting a hand on either side of the boat. She grinned at him deviously. "Sarah promised me $50 if I got you into the lake while we were here." She rocked it, narrowing her eyes.

He closed his eyes, unconcerned, and waved a hand at her. "You wouldn't dare."

She thought about it and shrugged, and then climbed back up on the bench. Again, she laid down. "I don't feel like getting wet right now."

Sam opened one eye and looked at her. "But later, right?" He gave her a lecherous grin.

She rolled her eyes and snorted. "Now who's the pervert?" As he held out his hand for hers, she took it, lacing her fingers through his.

* * *

><p>They continued to drift for a while, noticing that each brush of breeze across the water brought them a little closer to the shoreline. After some time, the sounds of the party intensified and the boat jerked and Andy sat up. They'd hit the beach one house over from Sarah's. Andy got out, and gave the boat a shove. As she hopped back in, Sam used the oars to pull them back out into the water, and then over to the dock.<p>

She slipped the rope over the post and felt Sam's hand on her back, guiding her as she stepped up. Looking towards the house, Andy saw Sarah making her way down the path to them.

"People are starting to leave," she called. And then she raised a questioning eyebrow at Andy, waving her hand at her. Andy shook her head and then Sarah grinned and pointed her finger, mouthing _Do it._ Behind her, Sam was up on the dock, tying up the other end of the boat and Andy turned to him, biting her lip. As he straightened up on the end of the dock she leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. Her hand flattened against his chest, fingers sliding against the fabric of his shirt.

"I'm really sorry about this," she said quietly. A confused look came over his face and then she pushed hard at the center of his chest and laughed triumphantly as he fell back into the water.

Sarah walked up to the end of the dock with Andy and she looked down smugly as Sam surfaced, sputtering, completely soaked. He stood up, chest deep in the water. Curse words were flying out of his mouth in rapid succession and trying to stifle the laughter, Andy bent down, holding out a hand to pull him up.

"I really am sorry," she said laughing. He glared at her and shook his head, spraying water. Then he reached up and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. One good yank was all it took to pull Andy into the water with him. She came up coughing and heard Sarah's footfalls on the dock as she ran back up to the yard, laughing to herself.

Sam wrapped an arm around her and held her up. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" he said grinning. "I can't believe you sold me out for fifty bucks."

Andy shoved at him, trying to free herself, but he just held her tighter against him. Finally he ducked his head and kissed her hard, sucking in a quick breath as her teeth sunk into his lip. And then her arms went around his neck and she was kissing him back, her energy from the struggle focused in another direction. He pulled back and after pushing the wet hair out of her face, pressed his mouth to hers one more time and then he turned her towards the dock.

Sam put a hand under her and pushed her up as she pulled and she towed herself up out of the water. She spun around and held a hand out for him and he grabbed it. Together, they got him up and out and they walked, dripping water all the way back up the path to the yard. He slung his arm around her waist, his hip bumping hers every few steps. And his fingers were stroking that spot low on her stomach right inside her hipbone. That spot that made her go all liquid inside and lean into him. There were maybe a dozen people still hanging out by the fire pit, talking while the music still played, volume lowered. Andy looked around. Kit had gone, taking the twins. Andy looked at her watch. After ten. Jake was probably in bed.

Sarah took one look at them, at the grass and dirt coating their feet and ankles and shook her head as they headed for the basement door. "Don't even think going upstairs and waking that kid up. He's exhausted." As Sam opened his mouth to complain, she held up a hand. "There's a hose out back behind the garage. I'll grab you some towels quick." She disappeared through the basement door and reappeared moments later.

Together, the two of them walked over the yard, through the dark to the garage and Andy stood on the cement slab while Sam unwound the hose. "Alright, get naked," he said with a grin. Andy rolled her eyes and craned her neck, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was coming, and then tugged off her soaking wet shirt and shorts. She stood there in her underwear, crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow.

"That's all you're getting."

He shrugged. "Worth a shot, right?"

She let out a shriek as the cold water from the hose hit her skin and she sucked in a few quick breaths as Sam moved the spray over her, rinsing off the lake water; starting at her shoulders and ending at her feet. Then he passed the hose to her, and stripped down to his boxer briefs. Andy returned the favor and grinned as he hissed, shrinking away from the spray. Finally, they were finished and Sam reached over and cranked the spigot.

Andy handed him the hose and he wrapped it up, and then he grinned and grabbed her hand as she started walking towards their clothing, pulling her to him one more time. Their bodies came together with a loud wet slap and they laughed as their mouths met and he pressed her against him; each warming up wherever they touched. Sam rubbed his hands up and down her arms and then reached back and squeezed the water from her hair. He was trying not to be distracted by the rivulets running down her shoulders, over her collarbones, and down between her breasts, still encased in the soaked cotton bra. The wind blew lightly, making her shiver and reluctantly, she pulled away, walking around the corner to where the towels were sitting.

She wrapped one around her and reached underneath and stripped away her underwear and bundled it into her other clothing. He did the same, and then they followed the stone path all the way to the house. They skipped the back door and walked around to the deck, stifling laughter as they hung their shirts and shorts over the railing and then slipped soundlessly inside the porch.

The music was still playing out of the speakers below, the music slower and softer than earlier in the night, but it was enough so that Andy couldn't make out the conversation going on down there. After checking the locks on the three porch doors, and quickly scanning the yard, they stood together in the dark next to the bed. Sam reached out and untucked her towel, letting it fall at her feet. He tangled his hands in her hair as her fingers slid down over his stomach and tugged at his towel. In seconds, it was on the floor and then their cool, damp bodies fell back onto the bed which was still in shambles from their nap.

"Your sister is never going to let us stay out here again," Andy said with a laugh as Sam's mouth moved over her flesh. "She'll probably burn the sheets."

"I'll kill her," he mumbled. "I love these sheets." He was settled between her legs with the blanket pulled up to his shoulders and his l lips were traveling over her, teeth scraping at the skin at the side of her breast, at her ribs. He gripped her waist with open hands and pressed his face against her stomach, leaving open, wet kisses across it. Andy pulled her bottom lip through her teeth and wiggled her hips expectantly. Sam grinned up at her and one of his hands smoothed down over the curve of her hip. "I could just sit here like this all night."

Andy raised her eyebrows. "No, you really can't," she laughed. Her teasing eyes met his and she saw something spark in the air between them. Before he pressed his mouth to the inside of one thigh, he breathed a few hot breaths over her flesh. He felt her tense a little under him, felt the strong muscles of her legs flex as his hand cupped her hamstring, holding the bent limb in place. He raised his eyes to her, and then lifted his head, tilting it back and looking thoughtful. His thumb made small slow circles against the soft skin of her inner thigh as she let out an exasperated groan as he hesitated.

"I don't know if I _should_ be doing this, I mean, there are people down there," he said with a grin. He made a move to climb off her, and she wrapped her legs around him, tightening them; holding him in place.

"Don't you _dare_ stop," she said with a serious tone and Sam laughed. As the fire lit up the backyard, and the voices of the guests below faded away, Andy ran her hands through his hair, and Sam grinned one more time as he got down to business.

* * *

><p>The next morning, no one slept in. Sarah and Cooper had each taken the morning off but had to run Jake home before they went into work. Sam and Andy were working the second shift but they had to get back on the road sooner or later. However they were in no hurry to leave the little cocoon of warmth they'd made for themselves.<p>

When Sam woke, he was in his favorite place, tucked tightly behind Andy, his hand on her ribs, her hair soft under his cheek. The little tiny hairs were standing up on her back in response to the morning chill and he pulled the blanket up over her shoulder and ran a hand down the center of her back. In her sleep, she arched into his touch and he bent down, leaning his forehead against her shoulder, inhaling the scent of her skin.

And in that moment, he agreed. If they could find a place like this, a quiet private place, he would gladly spend every second of his life there with her. The problem, of course, came when it was time to get up every morning, to get ready for the day. She moved softly against him, reached a hand back to pat his thigh and he slid his fingers between hers, holding her hand tightly in his. She hummed in her throat and drew his arm back around her and he pressed a kiss to her ear.

"What time is it?" she mumbled. On the other side of the wall, Sam heard the television turn on, heard people moving around.

He kissed her again. "I think it's time to get up. It's really early."

"Can't you just pack everything and carry me to the truck?" she murmured.

He chuckled and sat up. "I don't think so." They laid there for a few more long moments and then Andy gave a loud sigh and sat up. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and flipped back the covers.

Sam saw goose bumps run over Andy's skin as she dragged herself out of the warm bed and began hunting in her duffel for clean clothing. She looked over her shoulder at him as she crouched on the floor. "If I have to be up, so do you," she complained. He grinned and tossed back the blankets and got up, kicking through the mess of his clothing as he found some that still looked folded. They dressed quickly, shoved their belongings into their bags, stopping outside to grab their still wet clothing, and then carried everything out to the kitchen.

Sarah and Cooper were both already dressed for work. He was moving back and forth between the kitchen and the living room, putting together his briefcase. Andy saw him stuff in the stack of tests she'd seen when they'd first arrived, and she wondered when he'd found the time to finish correcting them. Sarah looked up as they walked in and dropped their duffels and she grinned.

"You two disappeared awfully early last night. I think we were outside until after midnight." Andy glanced at her and yawned as she opened the fridge. Sam ignored her completely and pulled down two mugs, filled them up with coffee and then handed one over.

"Sarah," Cooper said, on his way out of the room one more time. "Did you see where I put that book? The blue one with the white thing on the front?"

Sarah winked at Andy. "It's on your couch, under the newspaper." He disappeared to find it.

Andy blinked a few times and then bit into an apple as she leaned back next to Sam. After a moment, she turned and pressed her forehead to his shoulder and closed her eyes. His hand came up to cup the back of her neck and he pressed his mouth into her hair, over her ear. "I'll let you sleep on the way home," he whispered.

She yawned again. "Thanks," she said quietly as she pulled away and smiled at him, lifting her mug to take a drink. Across the room, Cooper had his bag slung across his chest and was carrying a very heavy-looking, half-asleep ten year old in his arms. Sarah was rising from the table and stacking their cereal bowls.

"Sorry to kick you guys out, but we've got to leave," she said with a small smile. She put the dishes in the sink and then turned to Sam and hugged him. Then she turned to Andy and smiled and put her arms around her. "Make sure you come back soon, okay?"

Andy nodded and hugged her back. "We will."

Sarah pulled back a little and glanced at Sam. "You can leave him at home if you want." He rolled his eyes and slung the straps of both duffels over his shoulder and walked to the door.

Andy followed Sarah and they all exited the house. Where the stone path ended, Sam and Cooper said goodbye, and Sam went to put the bags in the truck. Sarah walked up and smiled at Cooper as she passed, and when Andy walked up, she leaned up on her toes and put an arm up around his shoulder, trying not to disturb Jake.

"I had a great time this weekend. And congratulations," she said quietly.

When she pulled back, his eyes met hers and then he gave her a slow smile and nodded. As he turned to go, he turned towards her one more time. "You're welcome here anytime, Andy."

She watched him put Jake into the backseat of the car, and climb into the driver's seat. Then she felt Sam's hand on her shoulder. She turned and he tipped his head toward the truck. They got in and followed Sarah and Cooper back to the highway and then turned in the opposite direction.

She put her sunglasses on and settled back against the seat. And then she looked over at Sam. He glanced back.

"What?"

She shook her head, hiding a grin. "I was just thinking about Christmas."

"Why? It's months away," he said, puzzled.

She tilted her seat back a little and closed her eyes. "I just have a feeling it'll be memorable." She turned on her side and watched him for a moment as he tapped his thumb against the steering wheel in time to the music and then closed her eyes, finally letting the smile spread across her face.

* * *

><p><strong>And no. This is not the last you'll be seeing of Sarah and Cooper :)<strong>


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